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Wasting Electricity Via Chargers

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So, you’ve got a veritable forest of chargers for a wide variety of weird electronic devices, and if you’re like me, you leave the most-used ones plugged in all the time because, well, it’s kind of a pain to plug and unplug the charger when you’re plugging and unplugging the device.  However, you’re in the mood to save a little electricity, unplugging things not in use is the tip to do it.  But does unplugging chargers really save power?

Well yes, it does, but it’s not a significant amount.  Inhabitant has a great advice column on the topic.  While the savings aren’t significant, just a few pennies here and there, pennies add up when you’re trying to make ends meet.  My best tip?  Put non-essential entertainment electronics and chargers on the same power strip, then kill that power strip when not in use.  Otherwise, a little power bleeding isn’t an unexpected thing, and it’s not exactly killing your budget (or the planet, for that matter).

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Matt Groening's Apple Ads

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Once upon a time, Simpsons creator and animation megastar Matt Groening had to have a day job, just like everyone else.  For Groening, that day job was illustrating for Apple Computers.  From the fecund mind of the man behind Futurama comes these wonderful apple computer ads.  Dubbed “Who Needs A Computer Anyway?  A Student’s Guide,” the illustrations are fun and funky reminder that, even in 1989, college students probably could’ve used a computer.

These computer ads are awesome, by the way.  I’ll take traditional animation over fancy computer animation any day of the week.  Especially today, and especially by one of the most famous American animators since Walt Disney.

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Vending Machine For Computer Parts, Cables

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Matt Westervelt is the mastermind behind Metrix Create:Space, a Seattle, Washington-area hacker space where computer gurus and technology nuts can gather and avail themselves of a large workspace with all the cutting-edge tools one might need to put together a computer or work on some cool bit of technology.  Among the many features of the space are a 3D printer, oscilloscopes, work benches, power and hand tools, and 50 Mbps internet.  Oh yeah, there’s also a vending machine for computer parts.

You heard me, if you need parts, you can head for a nearby vending machine.  There are standard vending machine fare like snacks and bottled drinks, but there are also more specialized bits of tech available for purchase (as well as full military-grade MREs).  Within the confines of the vending machine are USB cables, LCD displays, LEDs, breadboards, Arduino kits, open-source breathalyser kits, solder tubes, servos, DC motors, and ShamWows, as well as a bunch of other goodies you’d need for tech projects.

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Should You Be Proud Of Being Anti-Facebook?

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I’m far from a Luddite; in spite of myself, over the years I’ve signed up for MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and all those sorts of social networking website, and in my time, I used them all pretty regularly.  However, these days?  My MySpace is dormant, my Facebook is covered with cobwebs, and my Twitter isn’t as active as it once was.  Like a growing number of folks, I’m anti-Facebook and while I’m not proud of it, it is what it is.  Gizmodo’s Sam Biddle says, “If you’re not on Facebook, it’s time to get over yourself.”

Do you agree?

To me, if someone wants to be my friend and I want to be their friend, there should be a little work involved.  Granted, Facebook makes it way easier to keep up with what’s going on in someone’s life, but I’m a believer in the theory that sometimes, a friendship shouldn’t be forever.  If that makes me a Luddite, so be it.  I’ve had more than enough MySpace drama to make up for my lack of current Facebook drama, and I’m too old and tired to put up with it any longer.

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Musical Monday: Do the Robot

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It’s all fun and games until the dancing robots turn on us.  You’d do well to remember this, Sony.

Here’s a video of, I believe, the QRIO robot from Sony doing its best dance routines set to some peppy Japanese pop music of some sort.  The track is catchy, but the dancing robots?  That’s where the spectacle comes in.  It’s a shame that robots can dance better than most people I know, but these robots?   Yeah, they’re pretty great.

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Fun Friday Videos: The Dog-tor Versus The Dalek

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I have no words to describe this, but I’ll try.  Hilarious?  Check.  Wonderful?  Check.  Laugh-out-loud?  Totally.  Do I want to get a remote control Dalek and chase a dog around with it?  You know it.  Still, you have to feel for Brittany the Boxer as she encounters her first Dalek in the confines of her very own home.  To her credit, she doesn’t back down!  She just, uh, kind of backs to the side away from the Dalek when it turns on her.

Still, points for bravery.  She’s already a better Doctor than Colin Baker was, and she’s fast-approaching on David Tennant territory!

Via The Daily What

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