blessingx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HCeZG9tE14

Newest rumors... No camera, but multi-touch gestures that are said to be "out of control."

Along those lines, some commentary over at... Scobleizer ? Exploring the 2010 Web Also: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/technology/companies/14baidu.html

This could get interesting. Official Google Blog: A new approach to China [url=http://rawstory.com/2010/01/google-no-longer-continue-censoring-chinese-searches/]Google

Well, after testing driving several new and couple year old versions of a Prius, Smart Car, Yaris, Accent, xB, Rio, etc. and looking at a bunch of others including the Fit, Aveo, Focus, etc. (I lost count), I think it's going to be a Hyundai Elantra. Sacrificed a bit on fuel efficiency and my size wish, but the ride was better than others (except possibly the Prius) and after driving around a rented newish Corolla to look, that aspect grew in importance. Didn't get new down to $10K, but wasn't that far off. Was sure tempted by the used Prius' though (primarily for other reasons than it's known for), and even the Smart Car Passion (though easily the strangest ride of the bunch). In the end, as mentioned above, that warranty was a big draw. Thanks for your comments everyone. They really did come in handy.

LiveLeak.com - The Worst Swingers Dating Video Ever made

I like the various duck decanters for goofy looks... ... but to be honest, neither of my pretty conventional decanters has seen much use since I shifted over to the Vinturi Wine Aerator. Decantus model looks decent too. Gets one to the 'liqueur' quicker. Course you can always use aerators with decanters for double the fun.

Yeah, that's part of the reason I previously avoided new cars, but at least in this G3 case, a $5K cash back on a $14,500 car, put a new one at the same price as what I'm seeing used 2008 models from private owners on Craigslist. Anyway, that was a unique case. I need to let it go...

Thanks for the advice guys. Just to be clear, the G3/Vibe isn't an option as they've been sold out in may area (and yes, the differences in price with Matrix isn't slight) and surely won't transport as everyone is closing shop. Guess I missed by a week or two the G3 possibility. Would have been cool to get new under $10K, but that's looking extremely unlikely. But I definitely appreciate the suggestions. Guessing it's going to be used as it has in previous cars.

Keep in mind the G3/Vibe was a GM/Toyota project - the Toyota Matrix is the equivalent. So consider the G3 half-Japanese. EDIT: Grawk beat me to it.

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Well, my trusty 1994 Corolla decided it couldn't face 2010 and died on 12/31. Thus begins a new tradition - the annual NYE walk. Transmission costs (waiting on estimate) will likely make stop repairs so I'm investigating newish car options. While I was expecting to pick up something used, with the current state of the auto industry, cash backs, lines disappearing, etc. began to consider a 2009/2010 Pontiac G3 (the once Vibe). The warranty is a big pull too. Basically, want a smallish car for city parking, good gas mileage for work commutes (40 miles each way - 2-3 times a week, when car is most used) and as I park on the street in San Francisco, something I wouldn't worry about a scratch occasionally. Now it looks like the G3s nearby have all been gobbled up as the dealerships wind down. So back to square one. Anyone have any suggestions or recent car buying experiences they want to share? Used or new? I'm probably looking under ~$10K new (which made the G3 a possibility after cash back) or under ~$6-7K used. I have to admit, although my father worked in the industry his whole life and my family identified themselves are "Chrysler people," I didn't get that gene and instead am mostly bothered by the fact this puts some computer, photography and audio gear 2010 purchases in jeopardy. So the cheaper the better, but mostly need something dependable - my Corollas best trait - along with smallish and good at the pump, if possible. Any advisement would be much appreciated.

In case you want to watch the tablet portion of Ballmers keynote... Can experience a book downloaded straight to the tablet.

PC vs. Mac

Strangely, he called it a "sort of prototype." And what did he use to show it off? Twilight e-book with a cover that has... That has to be deliberate, right? Right?

The Slate...

The IdeaPad U1 (a.k.a. Voltron) "absolutely kills anything Apple could possibly announce later this month. It's not even close." Damn.

In case there are others getting off on these tablet rumors, todays interesting tidbit... Apple employee says tablet UI has "steep learning curve"

Microsoft and H.P. To Reveal Slate PC Ahead of Apple - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com Microsoft to reveal HP built Courier slate tomorrow?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAGogjt8SdY

Specs.

Maybe the best will be what Sennheiser tweeted a few hours ago...

Maybe. True it's difficult to know the reason for changes. New formats spawn new growth, but that growth directs focus. You can obviously make much more reissuing currently available established titles in new formats than take a chance on new titles to the home market. Will there be less titles coming to market on DVD, because the format itself is being replaced? How many have already stopped buying DVDs because they only want Blu-rays now (we have several here)? There's such a rich collection that came in the last two years (including in some of the programs now killed, but listed in the article - I have spent nearly $1K in several decade old titles just now getting to DVD), and I suspect many would make the same comments about "everything on DVD" two years ago, I wonder what would have come out in the next two, that now won't? It's impossible to know, but I'd like to see the LP issuance numbers and how they changed when CDs really gained traction (assuming, maybe incorrectly, most early adopters had turntables too). Then there's the LP titles that never made it on CD and now impossible to find on LP. But maybe online is the bigger threat to any optical media, and possible solution to the title issue.

Sorry, you're just plain wrong on this. There are a ton of films, often discussed and referenced, making festivals and the like, even with famous stars or known directors, that have just hit finally DVD in the last year or two. There are way more that haven't. Hell, Ozu's inspiration for Tokyo Story (often sited as top ten of all time), the well know Leo McCarey film Make Way for Tomorrow, will finally appear on DVD next month. As the article said there are whole periods missing. See how many commonly sited silent films you can get for instance (most people probably think there were only slapsticks made). I don't know how you can dismiss this as a rant unless you argue keeping a vid off the shelve long enough makes the audience forget, thus no demand. You can say it's simple economics , though that doesn't deny the displacement of the previous format. Of course I have to bring up LP (even low quality recordings) collectors and the affect of CDs introduction. That title loss is a much bigger deal than audio quality sacrificed in my book. I think image quality (including deterioration) is certainly a part of it, but that isn't they whole displacement picture, and it is addressed in the article, no? He's still optimistic about Blu-ray, just nervous about the marketplace effect on title availability.