Operation Gadget
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Microsoft Zune Reportedly Incompatible with “PlaysForSure” Windows Media Services
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMartin O’Donnell pointed out an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer stating that Microsoft’s Zune player won’t play content bought through services compatible with the Windows Media “PlaysForSure” initiative. That means Napster, Yahoo! Music Unlimited, MTV Urge, and RealNetworks Rhapsody, among others. Martin called this a “shafting” for Microsoft’s PlaysForSure partners, and…
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In Memory of the Victims of the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFive years ago today, the worst terrorist attacks in American history took place in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Washington, DC area. This day is always hard for me, because I knew several people who lost their lives that day at the World Trade Center. I attended two memorial services for…
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Operation Gadget Will Be Offline For Four Hours on September 2nd
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAttention Operation Gadget Readers: due to a data center migration at our hosting provider, OperationGadget.com will be offline from 11:45pm Central Time on Friday, September 1 to 4:00am on Saturday, September 2.
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What is “The Middle of Nowhere” in the Google Maps Era?
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe “hybrid” map of Van Buren Ice Rink in Van Buren, ME.[ Image: RinkAtlas.com ] Jason Kottke gave us his thoughts on “The Middle of Nowhere”, prompted by an article in En Route Magazine. I have a different perspective, since I’m in the process of geocoding all of the ice rinks in America for…
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Jeep Liberty Limited Urban Terrain Stroller Lets Adult and Baby Listen to Music from iPod
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMy wife Kathleen and I got a Jeep Liberty Limited Urban Terrain Stroller at Kathleen’s baby shower a few weeks before our son Jimmy was born. Now that Jimmy is over two months old, he can support himself well enough to ride in a stroller built for a large baby or…
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Bike Prices Going Up Due to Price Increases in Aircraft-Grade Materials
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe Wall Street Journal reported today that prices of high end bicycles were likely to increase in cost from 5% to 25% this Fall as a result of increases in the price of aircraft-grade alumnium, titanium, and carbon fiber. The pressure is coming from increased demand for these materials in the…
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Kodak Apparently Giving Up on Uniquely Designed Digital Cameras
Reading Time: < 1 minuteI was really disappointed when I read the extent of Kodak’s restructuring announcement earlier today. The deal to outsource “certain camera design and development functions” to Flextronics sounds like the end of the Kodak tradition of innovation in the consumer-oriented camera market. It’s one thing to outsource manufacturing to a company…