Category Archives: technology

Patently Absurd

The patent office is a fascinating resource, I have discovered, after readying an interesting post on Waxy.org.

Andy Baio points out a patent application by Apple Computer for the backend software used to publish music to the iTunes Music Store. Cool stuff.

Even more interestingly, he points out that you can keep up with your favorite companies approved and pending patents, like so.

So, here are all approved patents and pending applications for Apple Computer. Some other interesting company searches: Google’s pending and approved, TiVo’s pending and approved, and Yahoo’s pending and approved.

And this blog, FreshPatents.com, has RSS feeds by industry on new patent requests/grants. Cool!

Tsunami Strikes Aceh

BBC footage from a second-story balcony in Aceh, Indonesia. This is one of the most compelling videos I’ve seen to date of the wave striking, in a blink of the eye obliterating everything in it’s path. Single story dwellings are swept away, and only two-story buildings seem to be spared. Via Waxy.org.

Headless Mac

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Apple is expected to announce a bare bones, G4-based iMac without a display at Macworld Expo on January 11 that will retail for $499, highly reliable sources have confirmed to Think Secret (via eHomeUpgrade). The machine will be a slim form factor to go beneath or beside a monitor, and include a custom version of iLife. This one will target likley PC-switchers who would already have a monitor they might use with their shiny new Mac.

SMS Tsunami Alerts

BoingBoing reports on a remarkable idea to help warn people in remote areas, as in the case of the Christmas Tsunami. ‘Problem: No effective system of mass, international alert existed in South Asia to quickly warn those in harm’s way of the tsunami’s approach.

One approach to a solution, created in the span of about 24 hours by an impromtu volunteer geek corps: A tech system called Alert Retrieval Cache (ARC) which collects, sorts, and routes SMS messages for the puposes of alerts and relay communication. An early warning system based on SMS, short message service.’

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