2006 November

Geeks, meet your voice! While I don’t consider myself a hip-hop or rap fanatic, I love this guy – and his new album will be out in a few weeks.

• Artist Name: ytcracker

Read more on New ytcracker Album!…

I just got word (through Tom Merrit on the TechTV Alumni discussion list) about this. Your help would be greatly appreciated:

CNET editor and former Fresh Gear contributor and Lab analyst James Kim has been missing since Saturday. ANY word, especially from people in the Oregon area is appreciated. The information is all below from the official investigation by the SFPD.

Read more on Missing Friend: James Kim…

Call it a streaming data battle royale, a video network smackdown of epic proportions – whatever. What does one do to top multimedia madness? Set the stage for Soapbox vs. YouTube vs. Break.com vs. Vimeo. vs. Jumpcut vs. Blip.tv vs. Metacafe vs. Revver vs. iFilm. That’s nine different video networks: all at once. Of course, if I was arguing with myself again, it wouldn’t be anything new. Instead – I decided to get into the holiday spirit and Jingle Bell your socks off. This time around, however, I hired a couple of assistants to help me achieve the effect I so desired.

Read more on Nine Video Networks Shootout…

MySpace just got a little bit weirder for me:

don’t ask me why…but i wrote a song about you…i didn’t even know you were real… it’s just that some blogger was ranting about you and i thought it was funny. I hope you don’t mind, but when I saw you on myspace i had to at least say Hi. so “Hi” – steve aka sisthek

Read more on My Own MySpace Music…

I can’t think of the last time I set any site as my default “start page” (other than my own, or a local document of collected links and search fields). I was checking referral logs for bLaugh and noticed that Protopage and Netvibes kept popping up. I had visited each of them a while ago, but never really bothered to return to either – portal sites aren’t really my thing.

Read more on My Favorite Portal: Protopage…

For giggles (and scalability reasons), we set up a Media Temple (mt) “gs” account – setting up some of our sites on their new Grid Server service plan. This morning, it all went to hell. By the afternoon, I started to get antsy – and blitzed a request in their general direction. I received a response quickly, which pretty much said that I wasn’t the only user having issues on the Grid today. Then, in the early evening, I received this update – which I share with you now, in case you’re also a Media Temple gs customer:

Read more on Media Temple (mt) Grid Server Outage…

From the Seattlist (not to be confused with the Seattlest): “Bre Pettis & [Brady Forrest] are hosting a geek night next thursday (the 7th) at the LowerLevel in Seattle. Come if you can. Speak if you can. Sponsor if you can.”

Read more on Seattle is on Fire!…

I can’t believe I’m looking out our front window and seeing snow on the ground. Usually, it falls and melts instantly – like it did yesterday. This evening, just as Ponzi and I were headed out to do a little offline shopping, snow started to fall in Seattle. We could barely see traffic on I-90, so I knew this wasn’t the time to venture out and brave the snowy roads (and likely inexperienced California kamikazes drivers).

Read more on Snow in Seattle – a White Christmas!…

The idea here is that you have to press play on the following videos (in vertical order) so that they all stream to you at the same time. You may need to adjust the volume on each respective network, though. Press play on the top (YouTube) video, then immediately press play on the second (Google Video), and then press play on the third (Revver). Bam, bam, bam – and you should see ‘em playing back simultaneously.

Read more on YouTube vs. Google Video vs. Revver…

I love USB – it’s simple, sexy, and ubiquitous. I’m probably the only guy on the planet who would describe the Universal Serial Bus as “sexy,” but I still remember fiddling with RS-232 ports back in the day (very unsexy). If a device doesn’t accept a charge by USB, throw it back – it’s simply not worth the hassle, otherwise. And if you think that the world of USB has been relegated to storage devices and media players, think again:

Read more on Weird, Strange, and Odd USB Gadgets…

One of the items in my personal gift guide is a homebrew arcade machine. I have a feeling that it’s going to be my “midlife crisis” acquisition (though I’m hoping midlife won’t hit me for another thirty years). I didn’t really grow up inside arcades, but arcades certainly grew up with and around me. I still remember walking into Happy Joe’s pizza parlour and begging Dad to let us play a few rounds of Donkey Kong.

Read more on Remember Starcade?…

• Jones Soda – 20% Off Jones Clothing amp Wearables using coupon code HOLIDAY20 – Posted on 11/20/09 and Expires on 11/30/09
• Jones Soda – 20% Off Any MyJones Customized Soda using coupon code MYHOLIDAY20 – Posted on 11/20/09 and Expires on 11/30/09
• Jones Soda – Jones Soda will donate $1 to PAWS for each Tofurky & Gravy Soda Pack Purchased – Posted on 11/5/09 and Expires on 11/30/09
• Jones Soda – Free Shipping on any $20+ Jones GABA order – Posted on 10/22/09 and Expires on 11/30/09
• Jones Soda – Limited Edition Seahawks Collectors Pack only $3.99 – Posted on 9/9/09 and Expires on 1/1/10
• Jones Soda – 10% off when you order 2 cases or more of myJones using coupon code PLUS2SAVER – Posted on 5/19/09 and Expires on 12/31/15
• Jones Soda – 10% off $60 using coupon code save10 – Posted on 5/19/09 and Expires on 12/31/15

If I drink anything, it’s usually either soda water or coffee (but seldom simultaneously). I decided to exceed my palate’s comfort level and venture into the world of Jones Soda this evening. Mind you, I didn’t flip for their typical cola flavors – that wouldn’t be very interesting, would it?

Read more on The Jones Soda Taste Test…

• Jones Soda – 20% Off Jones Clothing amp Wearables using coupon code HOLIDAY20 – Posted on 11/20/09 and Expires on 11/30/09
• Jones Soda – 20% Off Any MyJones Customized Soda using coupon code MYHOLIDAY20 – Posted on 11/20/09 and Expires on 11/30/09
• Jones Soda – Jones Soda will donate $1 to PAWS for each Tofurky & Gravy Soda Pack Purchased – Posted on 11/5/09 and Expires on 11/30/09
• Jones Soda – Free Shipping on any $20+ Jones GABA order – Posted on 10/22/09 and Expires on 11/30/09
• Jones Soda – Limited Edition Seahawks Collectors Pack only $3.99 – Posted on 9/9/09 and Expires on 1/1/10
• Jones Soda – 10% off when you order 2 cases or more of myJones using coupon code PLUS2SAVER – Posted on 5/19/09 and Expires on 12/31/15
• Jones Soda – 10% off $60 using coupon code save10 – Posted on 5/19/09 and Expires on 12/31/15

Find More Coupons

Last year, someone told me that Jones Soda had released a liquid “Thanksgiving meal” of sorts. It’s a novelty food item that I knew I’d have to drink at some point. I always appreciate when a “normal” flavor is blended with a “normal” food to create a potential culinary abomination. Like wasabi ice cream, for instance – many foods are worth trying once. Sometimes twice!

Read more on Jones Soda Holiday Pack 2006 – Taste Test…

First, some updates:

• I’ve been very busy – personally and professionally
• Was planning on moving to Los Angeles
• We’re moving across town next week, instead
• I’m getting married to Ponzi on December 9th, 2006

Read more on Music/Tech Summit (and Personal Updates)…

I’ve worked my fingers off over the past day, updating my personal wish list with all the latest interesting gadgets and gizmos (not to mention a few stocking stuffers thrown in for good measure). Without further ado, I give you a semi-official and almost-complete wish list – which could be good for just about any ol’ geek:

Read more on 50 Geek Gift Ideas (My Wishlist)…