Jul 15
In the "old days" of typewriters, forensic scientists could match a ransom note to the typewriter that produced it to apprehend the kidnappers. This was possible because microscopic differences in the metal letters produced a "typographical fingerprint" that could be identified from any page printed on that typewriter.Â
As a result, it became fashionable to produce ransom notes with disparate letters cut from a magazine, such as:
Today, computer printers are highly precise instruments that make it nearly impossible to distinguish between pages printed on the same brand printer. However, an article in USA Today describes how many color laser printers leave microscopic yellow dots on each printed page to identify the printer's serial number and ultimately, you.
Continue reading »
Popularity: 4% [?]
Tags: Color Laser Printers, Yellow Dots
Jun 30
The world now has one billion personal computers, according to Gartner research. It's expected to take less than 6 years for the second billion, as a 12 percent annual increase will double the number of PCs worldwide by 2014, with most growth coming from developing markets.
The U.S., Europe and Japan own 58% of today's PCs. Emerging markets will account for 70 percent of the next billion PCs due to dropping prices and improved Internet access.
The PC installed base is constantly churning as users replace their computers with new ones. Gartner estimates that 16% or 180 million PCs will be replaced this year.
But there is a downside to all this progress. Some old PCs find a second life in schools and charities, some are recycled, but many are simply thrown in the trash. "We estimate a fifth of these, or some 35 million PCs, will be dumped into landfill with little or no regard for their toxic content," said Meike Escherich, principal research analyst at Gartner.
Popularity: 4% [?]
May 22
Dirty programming may be hazardous to your health. No, I'm not talking about building an X-rated ASP.NET website. Rather, there is evidence that a computer keyboard can be more filthy than a toilet seat.
Continue reading »
Popularity: 7% [?]
Tags: bacteria, keyboard, mouse
Mar 06
What's wrong with this picture? Could it be the super-sized laptop? Or that the laptop is translucent and you can see the sidewalk behind it? Maybe it's the fact that the laptop isn't really there…
Julian Beever is an English artist famous for his elaborate 3-D chalk drawings in England, France, Germany and the USA. Beever creates his art using a projection method called anamorphosis, which creates the illusion of three dimensions when viewed from a specific angle. Besides his pavement art, Beever also paints murals, collages, oil paintings and replicas of master artwork.
More Sidewalk Art
More Cool Stuff at Net-Warriors.com
Popularity: 6% [?]
Feb 09
When buying a new PC, should you spend the extra cash to upgrade your RAM? Here's a rule-of-thumb for how much memory you need to run Windows Vista:
Windows Vista RAM
- 2 GB is minimum
- 3 GB if you can afford it
- 4 GB is mostly wasted
Continue reading »
Popularity: 12% [?]
Tags: RAM, Vista, Windows
Dec 28
Lotus 1-2-3, Apple Macintosh, and Netscape web browser–three infamous products that changed the world then missed the boat.
The Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet almost single-handedly turned the IBM PC from a hobbyist's tinker toy into a serious business tool. The Apple Macintosh introduced the graphical user interface and brought vivid color to a green-screen world. And of course the Netscape browser launched the World Wide Web and instant global communications, ultimately landing you here to read this blog.
Looking back at the revolutions caused by these products, one might expect them to dominate the technology landscape today. Not coincidentally, all three products were derailed in their efforts by the marketing monster known as Microsoft. But in spite of its best efforts with Windows Media Center, Microsoft has little to do with Tivo's struggle.
Continue reading »
Popularity: 4% [?]
Tags: Apple, DirecTV, Hughes, Lotus, Macintosh, Microsoft, Netscape, Tivo
