September 6, 2007

As posted in the comments of a OpenMoko Neo 1973 review…

September 6, 2007 – 4:35 pm
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(((A Linux-powered phone under development)))

neopic_sm.pngxtifr: But seriously, am I the only one who finds the version number a little off-putting? It kind of makes me feel like I should go back to wearing tie-dye t-shirts and bell-bottom jeans before I consider getting one of these. And, somehow, I find myself expecting a large, heavy, immobile device with a rotary dial.

ncm: It’s not a version number, it’s a model number. It appears to be meant in homage to the year when the cellphone first appeared. Today is a lot like 1973 in some other ways — disastrous war based on lies, crooked president, crappy pop music, ugly shoes, expensive gas.

Link

By Daniel | Posted in Conversation | Comments (0)

Pyramidal Neurons…

September 6, 2007 – 2:49 pm
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pyramidal-neurons.jpg
…as imaged by the Blue Brain Project… a joint initiative of IBM and Switzerland-based Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne to build a digital 3D model of the brain using IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputer:

The first phase of the project will be to make a software replica of a column of the neocortex. The neocortex constitutes about 85% of the human brain’s total mass and is thought to be responsible for the cognitive functions of language, learning, memory and complex thought. An accurate replica of the neocortical column is the essential first step to simulating the whole brain and also will provide the link between genetic, molecular and cognitive levels of brain function. The second and subsequent phases will be to expand the simulation to include circuitry from other brain regions and eventually the whole brain.

Beautiful…

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Feathery Disillusion

September 6, 2007 – 11:36 am
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broken-pillow.jpg

broken pillow…, originally uploaded by azli jamil….

By dwa | Posted in Photo | Comments (0)

Location *Doesn’t* Matter… When It Comes to Learning

September 6, 2007 – 11:23 am
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Reflecting on his experience funding startup ventures, Paul Graham states that where the founders went to college makes no whooping difference:

There used to be a saying in the corporate world: “No one ever got fired for buying IBM.” You no longer hear this about IBM specifically, but the idea is very much alive; there is a whole category of “enterprise” software companies that exist to take advantage of it. People buying technology for large organizations don’t care if they pay a fortune for mediocre software. It’s not their money. They just want to buy from a supplier who seems safe—a company with an established name, confident salesmen, impressive offices, and software that conforms to all the current fashions. Not necessarily a company that will deliver so much as one that, if they do let you down, will still seem to have been a prudent choice. So companies have evolved to fill that niche.

A recruiter at a big company is in much the same position as someone buying technology for one. If someone went to Stanford and is not obviously insane, they’re probably a safe bet. And a safe bet is enough. No one ever measures recruiters by the later performance of people they turn down.

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By Daniel | Posted in Journal | Comments (0)

Your Everywhere Moment of Zen

September 6, 2007 – 11:19 am
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Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.

Steven Wright

By Daniel | Posted in Quote | Comments (0)