A Hidden Gem in HTML

I don’t know how one goes about finding these things, but someone noticed a weird source code for this page. It’s a very basic, unspectacular catalog page for Fujinon Binoculars. But take a look at the source code.

520fujicodescreenshot

This screenshot is but a tiny part of the madness. Keep scrolling down the code for the full effect. I’ll wait. Apparently, the designer cares very deeply about the 8 point font. It was funny enough to get posted to b3ta and even made the weekly newsletter. Lots of folks laughed at it because it seemed so pointless. But that’s just the beginning of the story.

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Process Hacker – A Powerful Windows Task Manager Alternative

Process Hacker

For those of you who find the Windows task manager a little too light on features, we’ve got an awesome little application for you. Process Hacker does the same basic functions as task manager, but with lots of invaluable extras.

Task manager only lists running processes, but Process Hacker allows you to investigate where these processes are coming from (even if they are hidden) and displays helpful graphs and statistics about them. Its kernel-mode driver gives the application the power to terminate, suspend and resume all processes and threads, including those that are usually untouchable by Window’s task manager. And while yes, it may look a bit like Sysinternal’s Process Explorer, we think Process Hacker is a little easier to use. Best of all, it’s an open-source free utility.

[Process Hacker on Sourceforge.net]


Should using a computer require a geek license?

By Sterling “Chip” Camden
Contributing Writer, [GAS]

A criminologist in Australia thinks maybe so.  According to Russel Smith of the Australian Institute of Criminology, the simultaneous rise of cyber-crime and suckers born per minute has led to a crisis that requires government intervention.  Quoting Mr. Smith:

There’s been some discussion in Europe about the use of what’s called a computer drivers licence –  where you have a standard set of skills people should learn before they start using computers.

At the moment we have drivers licences for cars, and cars are very dangerous machines. Computers are also quite dangerous in the way that they can make people vulnerable to fraud.

In the future we might want to think about whether it’s necessary there be some sort of compulsory education of people before they start using computers.

People who fall for the various online frauds often do not bear the cost of their mistakes.  When a credit card is involved, banks usually eat the cost if they can’t prove that the customer colluded with the perpetrator.  Those costs get passed on to consumers.

But I for one do not see licensing as a good solution to the problem.  I don’t know how it works in Australia, but here in the US whenever the government lends a “helping hand” it usually means putting their hands into our pockets and helping themselves.  What, are police going to be peeking into bedroom windows to see if anyone is computing illegally?

Would licensing really help?  Judging from how well licensed drivers do on the road, I’m skeptical.

How about if banks change their policy so you have to pay the cost of the fraud if you could have prevented it by having the brains that evolution gave to a chipmunk?  Negligent stupidity.  That might make computer users get a little more savvy before they enter that credit card number on amazon.com.thievesrus.ru.

Muggers foiled by iPhone technology

If you’re looking to rob somebody, an iPhone presumably makes a great target: a breeze to carry away relatively inconspicuously and with a pretty decent resale value for your ‘work’. Unfortunately for three alleged muggers, the device’s much desirable gadgetry has a sting in the tail.

iPhone owner Can Duruk was carrying his phone this weekend in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside district. The area apparently living up to its name, he was robbed by two men who appeared to have a gun. As well as taking his credit card and forcing him to hand over his PIN code, they also made off with his phone.

Unfortunately for the bandits, Duruk was a subscriber to Apple’s MobileMe service. Among its benefits is a “Find my iPhone” feature, intended for people who’ve misplaced the handset. He simply logged into his account on his home computer and, using the phone’s GPS capability, the service gave its approximate location.

Normally the service can only identify the location to the nearest block or so, rather than the specific address. However, in this case Duruk was in luck: the block in question was dominated by a Wal-Mart store (where the muggers were busy spending on his card). He then tracked the robbers as they moved on to a restaurant.

That was enough detail to help police track down the men, who’ve now been charged, alongside an alleged accomplice, with a variety of offences related to the mugging and the use of the stolen credit card.

Buckyballs – The Ultimate Geek Toy

Even as an adult, I still enjoy playing with puzzle games, and buckyballs are no exception to that:

Named after R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome. “BuckyBall” is the nickname for a Carbon 60 molecule. Each set contains 216 neodymium magnets that can be shaped, molded, torn apart and snapped together in unlimited ways. Make sculptures, puzzles, patterns, shapes, stick stuff to the fridge. Imagine a Rubik’s Cube that actually makes you smarter; an Erector Set that never stops erecting; a Hula Hoop you don’t look ridiculous playing with; Silly Putty that isn’t silly; cram it all in a jar, turn the fun up to 11, and you’ve got BuckyBalls!

Warning: Oh, and just in case, this is a toy for adults only. Amazon says that Buckyballs should not be given to kids under 14 years of age.

Edit: Just stumbled on a much cheaper product that does exactly the same thing: [Neocube – $16.95 on Amazon.com]

[BuckyBalls – $33.47 on Amazon.com]

Annoy Everyone with the iBlink Earbuds

Remember when noise-isolating earphones didn’t exist, and as soon as you stepped in the subway, an annoying idiot always seems to be sitting right next to you, loudly playing his “music” in his earphones for everyone to hear, whether they liked it or not? While many earbuds are now sound tight, a manufacturer has found a way to make its products as annoying as they once were, only in a different way.

Enter the iBlink: A pair of noise isolating earbuds featuring LED lights that flash to the rhythm of your music. The louder your music is, the brighter the LEDs get. You will, of course, note that when you have the earbuds in your ears, you cannot actually see the lights yourself, making its only practical use the annoyance of others around you. Available in black or white, with white, blue, or pink LEDs, iBlink earbuds are available right now and cost around $25 to $30.

[Via Branchez-Vous! (French)]