Monthly Archives: February 2010

Google hoping to bring back the finger protocol?

by andy
Leave a comment
Google hoping to bring back the finger protocol?

Have you been online and frequenting Unix systems long enough to remember, and have used, the finger command? For the uninitiated, finger was a command that, given an email address based on a Unix system, allowed various real-world information to be gleaned, depending on what the user wanted to share: usually a real name, a real location, maybe other methods of contact, plus some witticism, quote, ASCII art or other. I had one when at Uni, though I don’t know if anyone actually used it. Sadly, due partly to security concerns, the finger command all but fell into disuse. However, Google is now looking to bring back “web finger” using Read more »

Liu Bolin is the true Invisible Man

by Jayvee Fernandez
Leave a comment
Liu Bolin is the true Invisible Man

Artist Liu Bolin from China was distraught after the government raided and closed down his art studio in Beijing. It already comes to no surprise how stringent China is with freedom of expression and this has affected the art scene greatly. Bolin’s studio was a haven and gathering place for artists and ever since that fateful incident in 2005, he has been working on a project titled Hiding in the City — part art, part protest against his government’s fear of artists working together. Because of his Hiding series, Bolin has grabbed the attention of the worldwide audience, with each masterpiece taking roughly 10 hours to set up, camouflaging him Read more »

Vinyl toys with a message

by Darice de Cuba
2 Comments
Vinyl toys with a message

I’m not into collecting art, toys or comic books as I tend to let my space get messy fast. So I refrain from buying stuff that are just for show. I used to have lots of Donald Ducks comic which all gathered dust after reading them once, so I got rid of them. Only things I “collect” now are book series that I really like and a couple of analogue cameras. But now and then I see some vinyl toys online that I really want, especially The Organ Donors toys by FOOX. They are really cool, they are limited and they carry a message. I myself was transplanted last year, Read more »

LaCie unveils first rugged eSATA hard drive

by andy
Leave a comment
LaCie unveils first rugged eSATA hard drive

We like our LaCie hard drives at Forever Geek. They’re well designed (two of them made it into our top 12 best looking hard drives) and up-to-date with the latest tech. Take the latest announcement: that of the first Rugged eSATA hard drive. LaCie is keen to point out the cost savings of getting an eSATA hard drive over an equivalent eSATA SSD. Given how reliable hard drives generally are now (unless you are extremely unlucky) and the rugged nature of this drive — something LaCie does well — it’s a factor worth considering. Obviously, you’ll need an eSATA port on your computer in order to take advantage of this, Read more »

Anime Settings – Real vs Fictional

by Nopy
3 Comments
Anime Settings – Real vs Fictional

Nowadays it seems like a common thing to use actual places as backdrops in anime. After all, why go through the trouble of trying to imagine and draw an entire city when all you have to do is go outside, snap a few photos and animate them. This technique has been used for some high-profile anime such as Clannad, Haruhi, Kanon, Lucky Star, K-ON, and A Certain Scientific Railgun. There are some pros and cons to making anime in this way. Read more »

Cheap, compact charging stations: the IDAPT i2 and i3

by andy
5 Comments
Cheap, compact charging stations: the IDAPT i2 and i3

If there’s one thing that bugs me the most about owning a lot of power-guzzling gadgets, it’s the fact that they can take up so much space and wall outlets, plus create a nice trip hazard with all the cabling. I’ve already done away with (nearly) all of the gizmos that won’t take rechargeable batteries, but I’m still left with power bricks and USB cables, and when I’ve looked a charging stations before they’ve tended to be expensive — or perhaps I just assumed they’d be expensive. Enter the IDAPT i2 and i3 charging stations: two/three port charging stations complete with six popular charging tips. Twenty-two tips are available, claiming Read more »

The U-Socket: USB charging from the wall

by andy
1 Comment
The U-Socket: USB charging from the wall

Whatever happened to wireless USB? I don’t doubt you can get it, but it does seem that most of the gadgets that are powered via USB are still very much wired. How annoying is it when you don’t want to charge up your electronic items from your laptop’s USB ports, but you also don’t want a load of bricks sticking out of regular power sockets? Enter Fastmac’s U-Socket wall outlet. Pictured is a US version, though I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to install it on international power sockets either. Yes, it has two USB ports: one on each side of the power sockets. It costs $19.95 and is available Read more »

2010's DRM in Gaming: The Road to Perdition

by Jayvee Fernandez
Leave a comment
2010's DRM in Gaming: The Road to Perdition

There appears to be an emerging trend in gaming DRM that requires users to have an active Internet connection while playing, else you get kicked out. This applies to single player games as seen in Assassin’s Creed II and rumored to be present even in Command and Conquer IV. Not only that, but LAN seems to be going the way of the direct IPX connectivity option for multiplayer (remember 1 vs 1 Starcraft by dialing your friend’s modem?). The major uproar started when Modern Warfare 2 for the PC removed dedicated servers. You COULD play LAN under private games, but without XP progression. It’s a road to perdition paved with Read more »

Learn Origami While Doing Your Business

by Noemi Twigg
2 Comments
Learn Origami While Doing Your Business

Am I being serious or am I being the dork that I can be roundabouts midnight? Well, I am as serious as the person who came up with the idea of Origami Toilet Paper! Take a look at that roll – I am pretty sure that everyone will not be able to help but take a second look at it. The Origami Toilet Paper is just like any other toilet paper that you can find in the market today. You use it for, well, cleaning up after you do your business. You can use it for wiping up spills. You can even use it to wipe your hands dry after Read more »

Geeks: Women’s Secret Turn On

by Noemi Twigg
3 Comments
Geeks: Women’s Secret Turn On

Why it is a secret, I do not understand. Onepoll, an online market research company, recently conducted a survey to find out what women find attractive in men. While this is nothing new, the survey had a bit of a twist – the criteria focused on attractive features that women would NOT admit to under normal circumstances. Here’s the top 10 list: 1. Has facial stubble 2. Is a bit geeky 3. Has a hairy chest 4. Avid book reader 5. Cries at soppy film 6. Sings along to a song while dancing to it 7. Grey hair 8. Sweaty after workout 9. Wears glasses 10. Has a passion for Read more »