Elmer Fudd in spam...

I got a spam this afternoon that had the following line in it:

Discover the new winning seWxual ereWction pKill! This medicOation picks up where ViaIgra stops.

I kept hearing the voice of Elmer Fudd in my mind, which made the whole thing a little disturbing.

ongoing · Bouncing Termsheets

Way back in January, Tim Bray wrote a good basic introduction to the VC Term Sheet.

I’ve been hearing these stories, several times in the last month, from both here in Vancouver and down in the States, of entrepreneurs having drop-kicked a VC termsheet and walked away, on the basis of terms and/or valuation. If you don’t know what this jargon means, a crash lesson on how the VC process works. For those who do know, a few remarks on VC trends.

If you are working at a startup, or considering it, these are important concepts to know about. I guarantee that you will hear about this stuff more thank you think you will when you take your job.

GROKLAW: The BSD Smokescreen

In this article on Groklaw:

...the subject of the copyright notices in the BSDi settlement files. After doing some research, he comes to the conclusion that whatever is in the sealed USL/BSDi settlement, it appears to be irrelevant to the Linux ABI files, because they do not appear to have been copied or derived from those in BSD. Here is his report, with his research.

Back from Hawaii

Well, I'm back from Hawaii. I've added some new pictures to the gallery and I've recovered from the jet lag. It was a great trip, and I met some really cool people. I'm glad I got the opportunity to go over to the island and see the other FireTide office, along with all of the people who work there.

I learned from my Dad that there is no substitute for face to face meetings in business. You really can't recreate the connection that you form with people by getting on a plane and going to where they live to meet with them. I confirmed that for myself last week.

So, now I'm back in California, and slowly plowing through all the email I let pile up while I was gone. I've got the satisfaction of coming back from a very productive trip, and now I need to go through my notes, incorporate all of the suggestions and decisions from the many meetings, and get material back to everyone for review.

To the folks in Honolulu, thanks for your hospitality, and I'm looking forward to my next trip.

The best of hubble

Here is a flash presentation of the best of hubble with some nice music.

[via Mom]

postqueer: Hey all you do-gooders!

My friend Juli sent me a link to this site which has a link to Flowers For Al and Don which is an offshoot of the send flowers to anonymous gay couples getting hitches in San Francisco idea. According to the site:

I'm using a PayPal account to collect money, with which I'll buy bouquets in bulk for the couples in line. You can donate as much or little as you please, and I pledge that every cent (minus the PayPal fees) that I receive will go to this project.

[via Juli]

Boing Boing: Send flowers to a random couple at SF City Hall

Boing Boing has a link to a florist who will let you send flowers to one of the happy couples waiting in line to get married in San Francisco. What a great idea.

Disney ban on Segway raises ire

I was talking with some of my coworkers this morning about the Segway, and the fact that Disney had banned it in their parks. The other guys in the car hadn't heard this story, so here is a link to the story in Florida Today

There's only one problem: Disney World doesn't allow visitors, even those with disabilities like Exum, to use the self-balancing transportation machines in the parks. The policy angered some Segway owners with disabilities and surprised others since the Disney parks have a reputation for accommodating the disabled.

[via Gizmodo]

Yak Shaving

I read something the other day that referred to Yak Shaving. I didn't know what it was, but found this great post that describes it very well.

You see, yak shaving is what you are doing when you're doing some stupid, fiddly little task that bears no obvious relationship to what you're supposed to be working on, but yet a chain of twelve causal relations links what you're doing to the original meta-task.

Here's an example:

"I was working on my thesis and realized I needed a reference. I'd seen a post on comp.arch recently that cited a paper, so I fired up gnus. While I was searching the for the post, I came across another post whose MIME encoding screwed up my ancient version of gnus, so I stopped and downloaded the latest version of gnus.

"Unfortunately, the new version of gnus didn't work with emacs 18, so I downloaded and built emacs 20. Of course, then I had to install updated versions of a half-dozen other packages to keep other users from hurting me. When I finally tried to use the new gnus, it kept crapping out on my old configuration. And that's why I'm deep in the gnus info pages and my .emacs file -- and yet it's all part of working on my thesis."

And that, my friends, is yak shaving. (Not that this particular example happened to me recently or anything.)

So there you go, Yak Shaving.

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Diamond star thrills astronomers

My wife sent me this link to a BBC story that says astronomers have discovered the galaxy's largest known diamond.

The cosmic diamond is a chunk of crystallised carbon, 4,000 km across, some 50 light-years from the Earth in the constellation Centaurus

[via Jenna]

CNN.com - Dean ends presidential campaign - Feb. 18, 2004

If you haven't heard CNN.com - Dean ends presidential campaign - Feb. 18, 2004

Gallery is working agin...

I went over a php memory limit with my photo album yesterday. It's back up now.

Hawaii -- February 2004

I'm in Hawaii this week for a set of business meetings with my new company FireTide. I got a chance to walk around a bit last night, and while I was out I took some pictures. Take a look, and expect more pictures over the course of the week.

Apple - RSS Information

Apple has a page up detailing all of their RSS feeds. A great resource if you like to keep track of the company and it's products.

die puny humans:

In his blog, die puny humans Warren Ellis mentions the songs, that I'm starting to publish on this site. If you haven't heard them, go check them out. As always, send me feedback if you like them, or if you don't.

New Oppertunities...

I've been with Airgo Networks for two years. I went there from Cisco Systems, and had a pretty good time. I had a chance to do a lot of fun work, including the chance to build my own automation test harness, my own test tracking system, and I got the chance to help design parts of the manufacturing process for Airgo's products.

In my time at Airgo I got to start the test team, and act as a lead for that team. I had the unique opportunity of hiring my own manager, and I met a lot of great people. I worked with a passionate and intelligent group of folks who taught me quite a bit.

Airgo also had it's share of long nights, and weekends. Ultimately I got burned out with all of the time I was spending in the office. I needed a change of scenery, and a new position to stretch my skills. I was starting to feel like my skills were stagnating at Airgo, and that told me it was time for a new challenge.

I was the companies expert on several technologies, and so my traditional role of a learner, changed to that of a mentor and teacher. I found that aspect of my work to be highly satisfying. I loved having the chance to help people learn a new technology. That experience helped me to decide to move my career along.

To that end I've started a new job with a new company. I'm new the QA Lead Engineer at FireTide. This new position will give me the opportunity to start and lead a test team. I'll get the opportunity to write a new automation test harness, and the chance to work with new people and learn new technologies.

One of the benefits of this new job is that they have an office in Honolulu, Hi and an office in Los Gatos, Ca. I'll be mainly working out of Los Gatos, but on Monday I'll be heading out to the Hawaii office for a week. I guess if I have to do business travel Honolulu is a good place to do it. I'm not expecting a vacation, of course, but it will be nice to go someplace warm for a week and maybe get a little sun in the mornings or afternoons.

I'm also excited about this new job because I'm getting a chance to work with several people I have worked with before. So all in all, I'm pretty excited. I'll be posting some pictures from my travels next week, so keep an eye on the gallery and the moblog for those.

Aloha,

Allen

FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Disney Worker Crushed by Float at Magic Kingdom

FOXNews.com says a Disney World cast member was crushed by float in the backstage area of the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday.

[via BoingBoing]

Alpine Launches World's First Car Audio Head Units to Allow True Integration with iPod

According to this story on VWvortex alpine has release a system to control an iPod through the in-dash car stereo.

Mobile multimedia specialist Alpine has developed a system that enables consumers to connect and control their Apple iPod portable music player from their in-vehicle sound system. Alpine's iPod Ready strategy is part of the company's overarching mission to create innovative in-vehicle electronics that are easier to use and provide great sound in the mobile environment.

This allows the driver to control all aspects of his iPod from the in-dash radio instead of having to work with the iPod interface while on the road. It's a one-cable connection that connects to the doc port on the bottom of third generation iPods.

[via Teal Sunglasses]

Surfin' Safari: Safari 1.2 Released

Surfin' Safari has a piece on the release of Safari 1.2 with a very good list of features included in the upgrade.

macosxhints - iPhoto4 smart albums break desktop picture switching

Macosxhints has published a hint I submitted about iPhoto4. Basically smart albums do not work with the desktop picture switching software.

The Armchair Garbageman: SpamKu

I think this whole SpamKu thing is really going to take off. Here is a post from The Armchair Garbageman where he takes a stab at his own.

iChat AV, AIM updates add Mac to PC video conferencing

This is a really great development, and may be the thing that gets me to move to iChat / AIM for all of my IM needs. I got an iSight for Christmas, and bought one for my wife last weekend. We are hoping to use them to video conference when I'm on business trips.

If you have a PC and a video camer, let me know, I'd love to try this out.

iChat AV, AIM updates add Mac to PC video conferencing

Apple Computer Inc. and America Online Inc. on Thursday announced a new level of compatibility between the companies' instant messaging applications, iChat AV and AIM 5.5 for the PC. With updates released today PC and Mac users will enjoy the benefit of video conferencing between the two platforms. One industry analyst said today that Apple stands to benefit greatly from the relations as it moves out of its niche market.

Pushing the evolution of wireless networks | CNET News.com

Cnet has published an article about Airgo Networks.

Now 42 years old, Raleigh's company is flush with $25 million garnered in a Series C round of funding, and he's probably making more than he did that summer. More importantly, his Palo Alto, Calif.-based start-up has additional money to manufacture high volumes of its Wi-Fi chips, based on multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology.
Gear that uses the chips will be compatible with equipment based on current Wi-Fi standards and will make it possible to more than double the current fastest Wi-Fi transfer rates, according to the company. Airgo's technology would allow a corporate buyer, for example, to set up wireless access throughout a building with fewer access points while significantly boosting the amount of data that can be handled.

New Startup Secret: Dumpster Diving :: AO

AlwaysOn has a new article about Wallflower Systems. You may remember that I blogged about Wallflower last year here and here, and Alan Reiter talked about them as well here and here.

Wi-Fi Networking News: Airgo Raises $25 Million

Wi-Fi Networking News was the reports that Airgo Networks has announced that it has raised another $25 Million to help start volume shipments of it's chips. You can see a story on Yahoo, and the pdf press release from Airgo.

Ideoblog: Some questions about same sex marriage

Larry Ribstein, a Law professor at University of Illinois, recently published this article on same sex marriage. The article is thought-provoking and well balanced. I've just recently stumbled on Ribstein's blog, but he'll now be in my RSS reader.

Here is a quote from his article:

Gay marriage is much in the news, having been elevated to state-of-the-union speech importance. And with the importance comes more than the usual quota of empty blather. This is something I’ve thought about (this is an abstract -- you can get the complete article from me by request). I suspect that at least some of the politicians taking stands on this haven’t thought about it much. Even former trial lawyer John Edwards said in the New Hampshire debate, 'I don't claim to be an expert on this' -- while proceeding to take a position anyway. So the candidates need to do some thinking. Here are some things for them to chew on

PalmInfocenter.com: Sony Japan Unveils the Clie TH55 and TJ37

PalmInfocenter.com has added this story about the new Sony Clie models. The article expands and clarifies some of the information from The Register, which I blogged about earlier.

The Register: Sony unveils Wi-Fi PDA pair

In this article from The Register, we get to learn about a new pair of Sony Clie handhelds. Both apparently have built-in WiFi. Both have virtual graffiti and both have VGA digital cameras. Neither appear to have that stupid keyboard, that older clie have had.

PalmInfocenter.com had a piece about these new handhelds on January 12, when details were leaked through Sony's FCC filing.

Currently, these handhelds have only been released in Japan, however it's Sony's practice to release products in Japan first followed by a US release in a couple of months.

These devices are getting closer and closer to my ideal handheld, which would have WiFi, Bluetooth, Virtual Graffiti, SD Card Slot, and still be small enough to fit in my pocket.

I'm excited to see these when they come out in the US.

edmunds.com: Confessions of a Car Salesman

In this article on edmunds.com we get a glimpse into the dark underworld of car salesmen.

According to the Introduction:

These were the questions we, the editors at Edmunds.com, wanted to answer for our readers. But how could they really know that our information was accurate and up-to-date? Finally, we came up with the idea of hiring an investigative reporter to work in the industry and experience, firsthand, the life of a car salesman.

We hired Chandler Phillips, a veteran journalist, to go undercover by working at two new car dealerships in the Los Angeles area. First, he would work at a high-volume, high-pressure dealership selling Japanese cars. Then, he'd change over to a smaller car lot that sold domestic cars at "no haggle" prices.

The article is in nine parts, and that makes it a pretty long read, but it's worth it. I learned a lot about the car business, and I feel like I'll be better prepared for my next purchase.

I particularly liked this part:

I asked how he did it. He said he checked prices on the Internet. He then called the fleet manager and made the deal over the phone.

I had a schizophrenic reaction to this. Part of me admired the fact that he had outfoxed the dealer. But the car salesman side of me was angry that I never "got a shot at him." It seemed like just a matter of time before people who, in the past, walked onto our car lot, would be on the Internet making deals.

The salesmen are only vaguely aware of this developing trend. I was standing on the curb next to George and we saw one of these high-demand SUVs ready for delivery.

"Another damn Internet sale," George said. "Why don't they turn that car over to us? We'd get a grand over sticker. Instead they're selling it at invoice. Does that make sense?" As the days passed I noticed more and more cars marked "carsdirect.com." And as I approached people on the car lot they often informed me that they were here to see the fleet manager. More Internet customers.

I would have thought that the internet business was more closely tied to the regular dealer business, but maybe when you cut out all of the commission the dealer ends up with the same profit. Either way, it's great for the customer.

[via BoingBoing]

The Scobleizer -- Meeting REI's CEO

Robert Scoble ran into Dennis Madsen, the CEO of REI, and blogged about it.

In the article he brings up lot's of great things, that make me glad to be a member of the REI co-op. It sounds like he really understands how technology can help to boost commerce.

From the article:

OK, more in depth. About stores, he's seeing that plasma and touch screens will change the retail experience quite a bit. Brick and mortar stores aren't going away, he says. Do note that 15% of REI's business is currently coming in online, though, and those sales are increasing.

This really surprised me. I've never really liked the REI online store, and I thought my experience was common. Generally, for the things I buy at REI, I like to touch them and look at them from all angles before I buy. If it's going with me on a hike, I want to make sure it's not too heavy / awkward.

I think REI could improve the experience for people like me by doing more 360 views, and more pictures of things in relation to others. For example a picture of that camp stove next to (or inside) a backpack would really make a difference.

Again from the article:

Also, he expects that within two to five years everything will be tagged with RFID, which will let his IT teams build new kinds of shopping experiences. For instance, you could grab a camping stove off of a shelf, hold it near an RFID scanner, and you could get a demo on how to properly use it. Or, you could see other things that work with that stove. Or, you could enter that into your gift registry for your wedding. Or...well, you get the idea.

I think that scanners mounted around the store will be useful, but I don't think that really uses RFID technology to it's fullest extend. We've seen scanners around stores before at places like K-Mart and Wal-Mart. I would like to see scanners on every aisle. It would also be great for the shelves to target ads at me.

For example, if I put a camp stove in my shopping basket, and then start walking away, a display could pop up an ad for fuel, and offer to direct me to where it's kept in the store. If I pick out a new set of hiking boots, a local display could offer me a discount on trekking socks.

To me there are two sides to this kind of technology. First is the supply chain side, it'll be great to give distribution managers the ability to do "instant inventories". The other side of it though, which I find more compelling, is that a brick and mortar store can give me an experience like Amazon.

When I say that I mean that the store can look at the things I've selected and say, "Hey, people who bought camp stoves, also bought camp stove cleaning kits". These kind of tie-ins have only been available to online stores, or to brick and mortor stores with very knowledgeable employees. RFID will bring that experience to everyone.

Super Bowl titillation shocks audience - www.theage.com.au

According to this story in The Age, Justin Timberlake did not rip Janet Jackson's top off on purpose. He said:

'I am sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl,' Timberlake said in a statement. 'It was not intentional and is regrettable.'

My question, how was the wardrobe supposed to function when he ripped it off? If you don't know what I'm talking about, click the link. They have a picture.

[via Jenna]

The Register: Gateway to buy eMachines for $30m plus stock

The Register has an article about Gateway buying eMachines.

Personally, I think this deal is going to be bad for both companies. eMachines is a fairly innovative manufacturer of low-cost computing devices, and Gateway is more and more a consumer electronics manufacturer. Gateway hasn't been really successful in the consumer PC space, and I think they are going to use eMachines to try to buoy their efforts there.

I have a feeling, however, that the eMachines purchase is just going to drag the prices up for eMachines devices and stifle their creativity.

Wired News: Pixar Says 'So Long' to Disney

In case you haven't heard Pixar is breaking ties with Disney. One question I have is how long Disney will get to use the Pixar characters. How long will Buzz Lightyear be in the Magic Kingdom?

Wi-Fi rides into Amtrak rail stations | CNET News.com

According to this article on CNET, Amtrak is going to start offering WiFi in several Northeastern U.S. train stations.

The contract will determine whether the service will be free and when it will be launched, the source said. Stations that will offer the service include Route 128 near Boston; Providence, R.I.; Wilmington, Del.; 30th Street Station in Philadelphia; and New York's Penn Station.

I hope they end up making it free. That would really convince me to ride a train over flying. I think it would motivate a lot of people like me to make the same decision.

Although this article is only talking about the train stations, imagine the day when WiFi is free in the train compartment along with the station.

If that were the case I would love to take a day to take a train to the east coast. Really, once you have gone through security, boarded the plane, and flown to your destination, you have already wasted a day.

On a train you can take that same time, and spend it in much greater comfort. With WiFi I could actually get useful work done, and then show up at my destination refreshed and ready to go.

I hope that Amtrak keeps up the good work.

macility - easy beat 2.0 beta

easy beat 2.0 beta is a neat app that let's you score several instruments at once.