At an Apple press event, CEO Steve Jobs shows off the company’s new iBooks app. Users can now browse, read reviews, read a sample excerpt, or just buy books–and the book downloads to a virtual “book shelf.” The software has the support of five of the largest publishers, including Simon & Schuster. (from ZDNet…)
This could be a lot of fun…
Posted: January 28th, 2010 under personal.
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Posted: January 25th, 2010 under personal.
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FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Robotics Tournament, Brooklyn Borough Qualifier.
FLL is a global program created to get children excited about science and technology. A hands-on program for ages 9 to 16 (9 to 14 in the U.S. and Canada), FLL uses Challenges based on real world scientific problems to engage children in research, problem solving, and engineering. The cornerstone of the program is its Core Values, which emphasize friendly sportsmanship, learning, and community involvement. (more…)
Posted: January 10th, 2010 under personal.
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Sledding in Fort Greene Park. Idyllic – when people aren’t sledding into light poles, fences, compost bins and other people.
Posted: December 26th, 2009 under personal.
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Posted: December 12th, 2009 under personal.
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From the IEEE Spectrum via YouTube:
iRobot’s soft, shape-shifting robot blob can roll around and change shape, and it will be able to squeeze through tiny cracks in a wall when the project is finished. Video presented at IEEE IROS 2009.
Posted: October 25th, 2009 under personal.
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The tool used to commit a crime might amplify harm and justify more severe punishment but it doesn’t change the nature of the crime.
A judge dropped the “cyberbullying” conviction against the woman who allegedly contributed to the suicide of a 13 year old girl.
The judge found the particular law she was prosecuted under, “illegally accessing a computer”, was unconstitutionally vague and could be applied to anyone who violated a social network’s terms and conditions.
The defendant says she never should have been prosecuted.
Here’s what she was accused of doing:
Prosecutors said Drew sought to humiliate Megan by helping create a fictitious teenage boy on the social networking site and by sending flirtatious messages to the girl in his name. The fake boy then dumped Megan in a message, saying the world would be better without her.
She hanged herself a short time later, in October 2006, in the St. Louis suburb of Dardenne Prairie, Mo.
If an adult, disguises him or herself as a teen and uses that false identity to approach a thirteen year old child for the purpose of manipulating and harming that child, isn’t that a crime?
If the direct result of those actions is mental anguish for that child — if the indirect result is the death of that child, isn’t that a crime?
If not, we need to reform our existing laws not distract ourselves coining a new “cybercrime” to describe people who happen to do this using MySpace.
Defendant Says Dismissal of MySpace Hoax Case Linked to Suicide Was ‘Proper’ – washingtonpost.com http://bit.ly/lyAoa
Posted: July 4th, 2009 under personal.
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1916 Fourth Avenue. I spent ten years here as a company member at Annex Theater.
The old Fred Astaire Dance Studio with the sprung floor and light booth permanently improvised on top of the bar is gone.
In its place is a new high-rise.
The tower’s street level facade evokes the building it replaced.
The ghosts of “Captains”, “Annex” and “7-11″ keep the old tree company — the same tree that shaded our front windows and hid our rotating anarchy A sign.
Posted: May 30th, 2009 under personal.
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Executive manager, software developer, father and husband trying to do more good than harm.
