Monday, July 19, 2004
Google for airport conditions...
Google Web Search Features: "To see delays and weather conditions at a particular airport, type the airport's three letter code followed by the word 'airport.' For example, San Francisco International Airport updates can be found by searching for 'sfo airport.'"
Review: Beyerdynamic DT 880 headphones
DansData: Beyerdynamic DT 880 headphones
About $260 in the US Dan says. They'd need an amplifier if uses with an iPod, so overkill there.
Among music lovers blessed with more sense than money, though, it is generally accepted that the DT 880s are serious contenders for World's Best Headphones.
I don't want to spoil the surprise, or anything, but yes, they're worth the money.
About $260 in the US Dan says. They'd need an amplifier if uses with an iPod, so overkill there.
Dan on Firewire
Dan's Data - PC hardware and gadget reviews!
Dan emailed me with an answer to a Firewire/USB question. These numbers are a bit hard to find, so for reference:
Dan emailed me with an answer to a Firewire/USB question. These numbers are a bit hard to find, so for reference:
... USB is, as mentioned above, 500mA at 5V; FireWire can theoretically deliver up to 40V at 1.5 amps, though I don't know whether any FireWire adapter that can actually do that has ever been made. PC FireWire adapters run from the regular PSU 12V rail, and so can't deliver more than 12V at (mumble) amps, but even that's beyond the capabilities of USB.I love Dan's site -- I learn more there in a few minutes than any other site I visit.
It's easy enough to make an iPod charger that runs from a plugpack, car cigarette lighter or what have you, though; these go to a FireWire plug with only the power and ground terminals connected. You don't have to hack one up yourself, either; many exist in the commercial market:
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=%22ipod+charger%22
Some are more practical than others, though:
http://www.engadget.com/entry/7288631317563720/
Sunday, July 18, 2004
The Psychology of Persuasion: often the classics are still best
Amazon.com: Books: Influence (rev) : The Psychology of Persuasion
I came to this book via a ciruitious route. I'd been interested in a recently published text on marketing, but reviewer comments favored this 1983 text (revised in the early 1990s). I've not read it all, but my sampling has been rewarding. I recognize much of the material from my cognitive science studies @ 1994, but it's very elegantly presented and placed into a corporate context. The author is a student of con artists and manipulators of every stripe, and he regales us with all the tricks of the trade.
I consider myself a hard case (of course everyone does), but I can see how I've fallen for a few of the tricks here. Of course one might say I was paying for entertainment rather than for nothing, but the line is subtle.
The scary thing is that this represents the state of marketing in the 1990s. Since then we've begun to deploy functional MRI scans in marketing research. What hope do we chumps have?
I came to this book via a ciruitious route. I'd been interested in a recently published text on marketing, but reviewer comments favored this 1983 text (revised in the early 1990s). I've not read it all, but my sampling has been rewarding. I recognize much of the material from my cognitive science studies @ 1994, but it's very elegantly presented and placed into a corporate context. The author is a student of con artists and manipulators of every stripe, and he regales us with all the tricks of the trade.
I consider myself a hard case (of course everyone does), but I can see how I've fallen for a few of the tricks here. Of course one might say I was paying for entertainment rather than for nothing, but the line is subtle.
The scary thing is that this represents the state of marketing in the 1990s. Since then we've begun to deploy functional MRI scans in marketing research. What hope do we chumps have?
Blogger's GUI upgrade is a mess! Why?
Blogger: Dashboard
Blogger redid their interface. They trashed Safari and Firefox immediately (who do they work for again?).
They've fixed the Safari bugs, albeit still with a very minimal and incomplete interface. It's no better than it was, but no worse.
The Firefox Blogger UI, however, is a complete mess -- comical really.
What does this say about Blogger's internal processes and Google's resources? Is Google running out of money?
Blogger redid their interface. They trashed Safari and Firefox immediately (who do they work for again?).
They've fixed the Safari bugs, albeit still with a very minimal and incomplete interface. It's no better than it was, but no worse.
The Firefox Blogger UI, however, is a complete mess -- comical really.
What does this say about Blogger's internal processes and Google's resources? Is Google running out of money?
Korean: Braised Short Ribs (Kalbi Jim)
New York Times Recipes: Kalbi Jim
Time: 2 hours, plus overnight marinating
6 pounds short ribs
10 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons minced ginger
12 scallions, trimmed and chopped
4 tablespoons toasted and ground sesame seeds
1/2 cup sake
4 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sugar
1 Asian pear or 2 crisp apples, peeled and chopped
1 or 2 fresh chilies (or to taste), preferably long and red, minced
2 large shallots, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
4 tablespoons olive or corn oil
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 eggs, optional
Salt
Cooked white rice, for serving.
1. In a large bowl, combine the first 14 ingredients (through black pepper), and refrigerate overnight, covered. About 2 hours before serving, put half the oil in a broad, deep saucepan or casserole, and turn the heat to high. Remove the short ribs from the marinade, add them to the pan and brown them on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes.
Time: 2 hours, plus overnight marinating
6 pounds short ribs
10 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons minced ginger
12 scallions, trimmed and chopped
4 tablespoons toasted and ground sesame seeds
1/2 cup sake
4 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sugar
1 Asian pear or 2 crisp apples, peeled and chopped
1 or 2 fresh chilies (or to taste), preferably long and red, minced
2 large shallots, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
4 tablespoons olive or corn oil
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 eggs, optional
Salt
Cooked white rice, for serving.
1. In a large bowl, combine the first 14 ingredients (through black pepper), and refrigerate overnight, covered. About 2 hours before serving, put half the oil in a broad, deep saucepan or casserole, and turn the heat to high. Remove the short ribs from the marinade, add them to the pan and brown them on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes.
Korean: Meat Pancakes (Gogi-Jun)
New York Times Recipe: Meat Pancakes (Gogi-Jun)
Time: 45 minutes
1 pound firm tofu
1 pound ground beef
10 scallions, trimmed and minced
2 long hot red chili peppers, or about 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Large pinch salt
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 eggs
Corn oil or other neutral oil as needed
1 cup poo-chim karo (vegetable pancake mix, available at Korean markets) or Wondra or other fine flour.
1. Put the tofu in a fine kitchen towel, and wring as much water as possible out of it. Combine it in a bowl with the next 9 ingredients (through the chives). Squeeze the mixture with your hands for a minute or two, until it is very fine and well combined. Adjust seasoning as necessary; the mixture should be well seasoned but not very hot.
Time: 45 minutes
1 pound firm tofu
1 pound ground beef
10 scallions, trimmed and minced
2 long hot red chili peppers, or about 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Large pinch salt
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 eggs
Corn oil or other neutral oil as needed
1 cup poo-chim karo (vegetable pancake mix, available at Korean markets) or Wondra or other fine flour.
1. Put the tofu in a fine kitchen towel, and wring as much water as possible out of it. Combine it in a bowl with the next 9 ingredients (through the chives). Squeeze the mixture with your hands for a minute or two, until it is very fine and well combined. Adjust seasoning as necessary; the mixture should be well seasoned but not very hot.
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