Google has unveiled their latest web app. It’s called Google Sidewiki and makes it easy to “Contribute helpful information to any webpage”. We’re not quite so sure. If you have the Google Toolbar installed on your browser, Sidewiki allows you to open a side-panel, add your comments about the page, and read the comments of others.
In a Utopian Internet (Utopernet?) the world’s most predominant experts on all subjects would be browsing websites dropping off clairvoyant nuggets of wisdom like Greek oracles. In reality, letting anyone add to any web page does not equate to instant insight. We’re all…
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Google to Trolls: please flame EVERY web site
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Tear your iMac’s insides out
Saying that [Ian] had some overheating issues with his iMac G5 would be an understatement. After losing three hard drives due to heat he decided to do something about it. The first step was replacing the thermal paste with Arctic Sliver. The solution for the hard drive was a little more unorthodox.
[Ian] picked up a 320GB Western Digital Caviar Blue drive because of its very low noise rating. He used rubber grommets to mount it outside the case and ran SATA data and power extension cables through a quarter inch hole to the motherboard. He mentioned to us…
Facebook
Facebook’s Real Scalability Problem
Want to scale a system which can handle over 300 million monthly users, approximately half of which are logging in daily? It’s not an easy task however Facebook has managed to pull off an impressive feat but as many users are noticing: not everything is working as it should. The primary problems exist for the minority, yet rapidly growing population, of hyper-connected individuals who have thousands of contacts. So what’s going wrong?
Facebook Scales Horizontally
Facebook has been the most effective platform so far for attracting a large volume of users on a global scale. In an interview with Fast…
Tech Support
What Makes Hard Drive Data Recovery So Difficult?
Computer crashes are quite common these days and most of us have had to experience the stress of losing important files and attempted hard drive data recovery. Of the many problems a computer can be stuck with, hard drive failure is perhaps the most destructive and once it happens, the process of retrieving data is not an easy one. Plus, the cost can run to the thousands. And no, it’s not because those who specialize in recovering data from a hard drive merely want to make things more difficult to the computer owner; it’s because the job of hard drive…
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Tech leaders enlisted to help the newspaper industry
It is pretty obvious to everyone that the newspaper industry is in a tiny bit of trouble. They have thus far failed to reach the rapidly changing landscape of news, online news at that. They must do something to keep our interests up, or end up flailing on the ground. Microsoft and Google among others have recently entered the picture with solutions to the problem and some fresh eyes from a digital perspective.
Leading edge tech companies enterend the picture with a plea from the Newspaper Association of America on how they can monetize content online through transactions or…
Tech Support
Enjoy Continuous IT Infrastructure Asset Support with RIM Services
Managing the IT infrastructure is a very critical activity for every organization. The issues and problems need immediate attention to prevent any major backlog in the operational efficiency. Able management of IT infrastructure can go a long way in enhancing throughput for all remotely handled systems and applications.
With IT infrastructure being a highly critical management activity, it is essential for every organization to setup a separate functional group to take care of its operations. There are many service providers of remote infrastructure management who can efficiently handle all activities related to IT infrastructure assets. There are four main services…
Tech Support
Quick Tips on Xbox Repair
Xbox repair is now as easy as ABC. I bet nearly everyone who is agog into this kind of gaming gadget will certainly nod in approval. The advent of modern technology has also revolutionized xbox repair. This is now an easy thing to deal with especially with the fact that many service shops for this kind of gaming gadget are readily available to do the task.
Yes, you can choose to fix your gadget yourself as down loadable do-it-yourself guide in simply a click away. In this highly advanced society, you need not have to go to service shops just…
Tech Support
Lack Of Flexibility Stalls Mid-market SAP Project
With six million dollars already invested, this commercial property company was being more than reasonable. Their SAP implementation had stalled in the blueprint phase due to a business requirement specific to their industry.
SAP was called in to review the design. They recommended a change that had the support of several key team members. But the system integrator was unwilling to embrace the proposed change. They were following a static work plan and the change would have required significant rework.
The problem with predefined implementation plans is that they are inherently inflexible, and they tend to keep users at a…
Automotive
How to Choose the Right Bike Rack for Your Car
Firstly, there are two sources of professional advice you haveavailable to you concerning roof racks. Your car’s manufacturingcompany will often have put together a list of recommendedroof-rack models and suppliers, with fitting information andparticular concerns that may be relevant. A quality manufacturershould not have a problem with discussing these kinds of thingswith you, so try giving them call.Your second source of advice is your local roof-rack shop. Awell-established business will offer impartial advice designedto get you and your bikes on the road safely and securely.However, even when taking advice, it’s good to have somedecisions made beforehand, and to be aware…
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Grow box controls heater, fans, and water
The Cheap Vegetable Gardner wanted more automation than their previous PS2 controller based grow system. This time they set out to design a full featured, compact grow controller that can measure temperature and humidity as well as control a heat lamp, fan, and water pump. An Arduino provides USB connectivity and interfaces the solid state relays and sensors. The assembled project all fits in a box but we are left wondering how much heat the four SSRs generate and will it be a problem?
[Thanks shawn]
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In-depth MAME cocktail cabinet build
Recently, a friend of ours got married who is a Ms. Pac-Man fanatic. His best man set out to fulfill the groom’s dream of owning a Ms. Pac-Man cocktail cabinet. The problem is that the unit he was after was selling for $2500. It’s great to buy the real thing (and with guest contributions he did,) but if it’s not available consider building your own.
[Alex] has put together a comprehensive guide for building a MAME cocktail cabinet. Unlike the mini-cabinet we saw last week, this is intended to be used sitting down and features controls on more than…
Facebook
New Reports Suggests Tuesday And Wednesday Are Best Days To Post On Facebook
A new report published yesterday suggests that Tuesday and Wednesday are the best days to post status updates on Facebook. The reason is that click through rates are dramatically higher on those two days. It’s not surprising considering that this is a trend found around the web in traditional publishing channels. If you do a press release, the best days have traditionally been Monday through Wednesday as those are the days that most people read the news.
What was somewhat surprising was the substantial drop off in click through starting on Thursday. Content published on Thursday receives half the clicks…
