Yesterday’s exciting Packer-Viking game generated no shortage of commentary around the web. Check out these links:
Monthly Archives: December 2004
The Christmas Carol – Remixed
Doug Kern remixes the Classic Christmas Carol with contemporary characters.
Tidings of Comfort & Joy
Tom Heinen summarizes Christmas messages from local & national Christian leaders.
Waterfree Urinals
Starbucks installed these waterfree urinals in their Seattle Headquarters in an effort to conserve water & energy, according to Brand Autopsy.
SBC: Fiber close to the home (Node) test in Connecticut
Extending optical fiber into the home wasn’t labor intensive, she said. The most crucial part of the experiment was the testing to make sure the new equipment and network were reliable, she said.
The next step for SBC is to begin a $4 billion installation project that will put fiber in the company’s networks throughout the country. Connecticut is very much part of that project, which is why Norwalk was part of the field test, Esposito said.
In existing neighborhoods, SBC says it plans to use FTTN architecture, which means “fiber to the -node.” That system brings optical fiber to a central point in a neighborhood, within 3,000 feet of homes already being served.
Note that this is NOT fiber to the home, rather it’s fiber to the node. DSL speeds will be faster, but hardly competitive with the services now available in Japan, Korea and other more advanced countries. SBC can certainly do better. Note that the speeds should be 2 way.
E-tailing continues to grow
Gallup found that more and more consumers under the age of 65 are using the internet for shopping. The average online transaction grew 10% to $140.00.
Snowkiting
Paul McHugh on skiing’s next frontier:
Kites may do for winter sports what they’re already accomplishing for windsurfing. Six years ago, big U-shaped kites were a rare sight at windsurfing spots. Conventional triangular sails attached to masts and boards dominated the scene. Now, at Bay Area sites like Crissy Field, Coyote Point and even rough offshore spots like Waddell and Scott Creek, it’s easy to see kites bobbing in the sky while riders on small, twin-tip boards skip nimbly over the waves.
According to longtime snowkiter Ken Lucas, utilizing wind power with a kite on snow may wind up even more popular than on water.
From Paris: Gorgeous Eiffel Tower VR Scene
Check out this gorgeous Quicktime VR Scene, shot from the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Eric Rougier
Telecom Advocacy Site: Consumer’s Union
Consumers Union has released a new telecommunications and media online resource: www.hearusnow.org. Check it out. Consumer tips on what to do before you buy, understanding your bills after and making companies listen when you are unhappy (from phone services to copyright rules on digital content).
Local Tax Deductions Going Away?
There’s been some discussion recently about eliminating the deductability of state & local taxes on our federal returns. Naturally, this would really pinch taxpayers in relatively high tax states, like Wisconsin. Check out the discussions, here: alltheweb | Clusty | google | msn | teoma | yahoo search |
