Yep, a new verb in the geek world "bricking". Turning one's mobile (in this case) device into a useless brick. Hunk of silicon that no longer does anything.
I recently bought a PSP-1000K - that's the Japanese version (Sharp screen rather than Samsung) of the PSP to play around with. I'm spending a lot of time on planes and I wanted a portable device that was a wee bit more capable than my venerable Palm.
The PSP seems to fit the bill. The latest firmware update gives me the ability to browse the Web (provides a browser) because it already has WiFi. It can store (and presumably display though I haven't tried yet) RSS feeds. It has an expansion slot for an up to 8Gb Memory Stick Duo, and it plays both video and games.
I bought the Japanese spec version because it came with the 1.50 version firmware. This has been considered the best because while feature-limited, it also allows one to relatively easily run homebrew software - older PSP games and games that have been emulated and will now run on the PSP (like older arcade games).
A very cool feature I thought.
Until I read all the disclaimers and through the procedures. Now, I'm pretty much a techno-geek. I open my Powerbook and replace components with nary a blink. I've built countless PCs from scratch components and overclocked them. I've flashed ROMs and tweaked BIOS settings for days on end in search of a few more hertz from the processor.
But I decided not to update my PSP with homebrew firmware. Perhaps it's a sign of getting older but I leave for vacation today for a couple of weeks. And I just didn't want to screw up the new device on the eve of leaving. There is a measurable risk inherent in upgrading/downgrading the PSP software that one will turn it into an inert lump of silicon.
I asked myself, "What is your objective, here?" I wanted to play some of the new first-tier games that Sony is putting out for the PSP - it should make my flights shorter. I wanted to play some movies on it (it supports high-res, widescreeen movies on its smallish screen) and I wanted to be able to load up a few tunes from iTunes. Well, it seems that Sony lets me do all those things with the current firmware.
True, I have to get a third-party app to transcode my DVD video and fit it onto the memory card - and I still haven't figured out a nice way to integrate the DVD chapters - but it works. And it appeals sufficiently to the inner geek that I get my little thrill without compromising the device's reliability or feature set.
I suppose I've matured as a geek. Or so I tell myself.
I'm back from Amsterdam, and courtesy of a sleeping pill, functioning pretty well today. It always seems harder for me to come west than go east - I believe that's true of a lot of people. Though I shouldn't complain.. one of my seatmates was coming back from a lightning trip to Ukraine - talk about jet lag then!
I had a lovely time in Amsterdam - a beautiful city and charming people - everyone seemed quite friendly. and happy to chat. I don't know if it is normal, but everyone took me for Dutch on first acquaintance, speaking in Dutch before English. Perhaps it was the way I dressed, or the places I frequented. I don't know - should I return, I'll have to ask a local what they think.
I haven't yet figured out the city's relationship to cats. Walking about, I saw just one or two, but I did see images of them used on houses (small terracotta-like deisgns) everywhere in old Amsterdam. One wonders if the seafaring nature of Amsterdammers means a long-term relationship with cats - who travel well on ships and get rid of pests that might destroy cargo (like rats). There seems to be very little on this on the Web though.
Didn't choose to go to the Rijksmuseum this visit - much of it is closed for renovations and I thought I would wait to see if I could get back.
All in all, plane rides excepted, it was a fine trip to a fascinating city. I'm back on a plane again Wednesday for the West Coast and then a couple of days later on another plane for Lihue.
How I wish for either the budget for business class travel or for hypersonic transports to be a reality. Eight hours on a plane is really a sad way to spend one's life.
At least the boyz were very happy to see me return - no hard feelings and Brownie woke me up this morning at a decent hour.
I'm here in Amsterdam, interviewing with Philips. I've had a very good trip and found that I really like Amsterdam and the Dutch. Everyone has a politeness that is unexpected - my failing I suspect.
I has lots of interesting nooks and crannies and I suspect it would be a bonanza for a photographer with time on his hands.
I'm up early tomorrow morning to go out and photograph some wonderful grafitti I found this evening on Spuistraat. I fear that they'll roll up their shutters when the stores open so I am planning to get out there before breakfast and take a roll.
I fly out shortly after mid-day and I'll be sorry to leave. I think I saw more of the city in one day than I did a couple of years ago in four.
It's the strangest thing watching the Beeb over here (from Amsterdam).
One of their conventions is to do a review (during every broadcast in the morning) of the national British newspapers. They actually hold up the paper in question and go through a dialogue about the contents of the front or back pages.
Very bizarre to my America-influenced eyes. What is the message underlying this? From the marketing perspective, I would think that it would be sending a message that either (1) we're not as comprehensive as the papers, or (2) we're not as timely/in-depth as the papers. Either way, it just doesn't look good.
I think it's likely that this is some sort of historical tradition that has been continued over many years. I cannot imagine someone adding it to a modern broadcast.
I remember a war between the Oregonian and local TV stations in Portland when I was living there. The war was about "who gave the consumer more information ". It ended when the Oregonian printed the entire text of the evening news broadcast on the back page of the paper - it filled only three of the four columns.
Brilliant..
Should we have expected anything different?
Actor Sylvester Stallone gets busted entering Australia with 40+ vials of human growth hormone. In case you were wondering what the key to Sly's phenomenal shape and longevity is, it can be purchased in a little vial from China for only $49/ea.
And here I believed the Vanity Fair article where he claimed to be maintaining his great shape with dry toast and OJ for breakfast...
I just watched the Michael Jack Johnson fight on ESPN Classic. This was Tyson's 8th knockout and 8th fight. I don't believe he was a contender yet, though Jack Johnson didn't seem to be a paluka.
Tyson doesn't seem to have much in the way of boxing skill. Just a tremendous athlete with great punching power with either hand. Doesn't throw them with any skill - just speed. He would beat most conventional fighters with just natural ability and speed.
Very interesting fight. Even though it was only 39 seconds long.
I had the pleasure of watching Liverpool and Barcelona battle it out in the Champions League yesterday. Liverpool held a 2-1 advantage because of their win at the Nou Camp a couple of weeks ago - in itself a famous victory. They are only the second team to win there in the top-level European competition in 30 years - having been the last winners there in the '75-76 season. So they had gone in to play at Barcelona - current European champions and accorded as being one of, if not the best, teams in Europe. And they had played an all-action game, giving Barcelona no time on the ball and had won a great match.
The press reports were replete with dire predictions about how Barcelona could easily come back and win, about how they were capable of scoring three or four goals on any team in the world. But they hadn't counted on the tactical nous of Rafa Benitez, the Liverpool coach.
We finally saw John Arne Riise playing in his preferred position (at least by me and many other Liverpool fans) of left winger. And he did the coach proud, terrifying the Barcelona defense in the early stages of the game.
In the end, a single defensive lapse allowed Barcelona to score in the 75th minute - though it should be noted that Samuel Eto'o, Ronaldinho, and Lionel Messi were all held scoreless - giving Barcelona a 1-0 victory. However, it was not enough to give them the victory over the length of the two game series and they lost the match on the "away" goals rule - goals scored away from home count more than goals scored at home - and Liverpool advances to the final 8 of the Champions League competition.
It's our only chance for trophies this season so the club is taking it very seriously. Two more home and home series to win (four games) before the Final. I'm eagerly awaiting Friday's draw to see who we match up against.
At this stage in the tournament, any team is capable of winning everything - yesterday Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Barcelona were all sent packing - so the next matches should prove just as interesting.
Especially now that the favorites to win it all, Barcelona, are out of it.
It's a good day to wear red.
This whole approach is very interesting.
Basically, the idea is that an asymmetrical war is very hard to win these days. To do a better job, we need to downsize (be more like the British, French or Dutch militaries) if we're to have a decent chance of winning the conflict. Leaving the question aside of whether we should be in the conflict in the first place, if we are to win we should likely purse the development of lightweight, high firepower forces - so Marine-like combat brigades with organic artillery and airmobile assets. Little or no armor I would think, maybe just APCs.
Funny, but I think that Rumsfeld foresaw this need and had planned to realign the US armed forces in this direction. It would seem the current operational tempo is precluding that reorg. I sure hope that someone is keeping an eye on the ball and planning the development of more lightweight forces.
This site is a very, very cool first look at the coming intersection between interactive storytelling, the comic artform, and the Web.
I need to work some place where I can get enthused about the work and lead a team doing this sort of high-quality work.
Kudos to Organic for the idea.
I actually saw one of these in on someone recently. I can't believe people wear them except as a joke. Latest thing in hip-hop "culture". They've just got to be uncomfortable.
Modern culture. Hah!