Madness In Large Portions

Rob Strotman

Pirate Bay Press Release - SOPA

I don’t necessarily agree with piracy, but I don’t believe SOPA or PIPA provide a valid solution and this press release makes some damn good points.

____________
INTERNETS, 18th of January 2012.
PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

Over a century ago Thomas Edison got the patent for a device which would “do for the eye what the phonograph does for the ear”. He called it the Kinetoscope. He was not only amongst the first to record video, he was also the first person to own the copyright to a motion picture.

Because of Edisons patents for the motion pictures it was close to financially impossible to create motion pictures in the North american east coast. The movie studios therefor relocated to California, and founded what we today call Hollywood. The reason was mostly because there was no patent. There was also no copyright to speak of, so the studios could copy old stories and make movies out of them - like Fantasia, one of Disneys biggest hits ever.

So, the whole basis of this industry, that today is screaming about losing control over immaterial rights, is that they circumvented immaterial rights. They copied (or put in their terminology: “stole”) other peoples creative works, without paying for it. They did it in order to make a huge profit. Today, they’re all successful and most of the studios are on the Fortune 500 list of the richest companies in the world. Congratulations - it’s all based on being able to re-use other peoples creative works. And today they hold the rights to what other people create. If you want to get something released, you have to abide to their rules. The ones they created after circumventing other peoples rules.

The reason they are always complainting about “pirates” today is simple. We’ve done what they did. We circumvented the rules they created and created our own. We crushed their monopoly by giving people something more efficient. We allow people to have direct communication between eachother, circumventing the profitable middle man, that in some cases take over 107% of the profits (yes, you pay to work for them). It’s all based on the fact that we’re competition. We’ve proven that their existance in their current form is no longer needed. We’re just better than they are.

And the funny part is that our rules are very similar to the founding ideas of the USA. We fight for freedom of speech. We see all people as equal. We believe that the public, not the elite, should rule the nation. We believe that laws should be created to serve the public, not the rich corporations.

The Pirate Bay is truly an international community. The team is spread all over the globe - but we’ve stayed out of the USA. We have Swedish roots and a swedish friend said this:
The word SOPA means “trash” in Swedish. The word PIPA means “a pipe” in Swedish. This is of course not a coincidence.

They want to make the internet inte a one way pipe, with them at the top, shoving trash through the pipe down to the rest of us obedient consumers. The public opinion on this matter is clear. Ask anyone on the street and you’ll learn that noone wants to be fed with trash. Why the US government want the american people to be fed with trash is beyond our imagination but we hope that you will stop them, before we all drown.

SOPA can’t do anything to stop TPB. Worst case we’ll change top level domain from our current .org to one of the hundreds of other names that we already also use. In countries where TPB is blocked, China and Saudi Arabia springs to mind, they block hundreds of our domain names. And did it work? Not really.

To fix the “problem of piracy” one should go to the source of the problem. The entertainment industry say they’re creating “culture” but what they really do is stuff like selling overpriced plushy dolls and making 11 year old girls become anorexic. Either from working in the factories that creates the dolls for basically no salary or by watching movies and tv shows that make them think that they’re fat.

In the great Sid Meiers computer game Civilization you can build Wonders of the world. One of the most powerful ones is Hollywood. With that you control all culture and media in the world. Rupert Murdoch was happy with MySpace and had no problems with their own piracy until it failed. Now he’s complainting that Google is the biggest source of piracy in the world - because he’s jealous. He wants to retain his mind control over people and clearly you’d get a more honest view of things on Wikipedia and Google than on Fox News.

Some facts (years, dates) are probably wrong in this press release. The reason is that we can’t access this information when Wikipedia is blacked out. Because of pressure from our failing competitors. We’re sorry for that.

THE PIRATE BAY, (K)2012

Do you know your neighbors? The Internet does.

Christmas Gift Ideas 2011 - Health & Fitness-Related Tech Gifts!

In the spirit of the holidays, I always spend time looking at all the über-cool, exciting and new products that are released and available this time of year. I may not buy or want to buy everything, but I come across so many really great products, I thought I’d highlight a few of them here, thematically, with Health-Related Tech Gift ideas!

To visit the website where you can purchase these items, just click on the photo!

The Jawbone UP

Jawbone has released the UP Health Band, which is priced at $99.99. The UP band syncs with your iOS device (free Android app coming soon)  via a 3.5mm plug and, using Jawbone’s free iOS UP app, tracks your exercise and sleep patterns and – through subtle vibrations – can even remind you to get active or wake up at just the “right” time.

The water-resistant band has a rechargeable battery good for up to ten days use, along with motion sensors and a vibration motor similar to what you’d find in your smart phone. Jawbone splits the functionality into three parts:

1. Exercise tracking. The UP wristband combines data with the app to show where you’ve gone via GPS, how fast you got there, and how hard your workout actually was.

2. Sleep. With the UP wristband tracking how many hours you slept and whether you were in deep or light sleep, how much time you spent awake, and what the overall sleep quality was, the UP wristband learns from this data and can then wake you up, with a vibration rather than an alarm, at what time the UP determines is the optimal time in your sleep cycle.

3. Eating. Well, eating smarter, at any rate. You use your smartphone’s camera and the UP app to track your meals and after answering questions about how each meal makes you feel, it pulls out the patterns of which foods leave you happy, which make you satisfied, and which just make you bloated and miserable. Jawbone utilizes social challenges to encourage better behavior in all three categories.

Three sizes will be offered, along with seven different colors - Dark Black, Dark Brown, Dark Red, Bright White, Bright Silver, Bright Red and Bright Blue 

The Phosphor World-Time Sport Watch

Phosphor’s new World Time Sport Watch sports (pun intended) a sharp and energy efficient E-INK display, a state-of-the-art buttonless touch “screen” operation, with the ability to change modes with a simple finger swipe across the case instead of bulky buttons or widgets.

The new World Time Sport offers the ability to select from 24 time zones for one display mode, while optionally displaying a second time zone simultaneously . The dual time zone display can also be configured to simply display the time of day or both the date and time in either over-sized or conventional-sized segments. 

 The only potential downside is the wristband. While made of flexible silicone and a durable, water and sweat resistant plastic case, the band itself is integrated into the case and is not interchangeable or replaceable.

Comfort-wise, these watches are an ultra-thin, in a curved case measuring only 9.3mm thick. They are available in three colored versions: black, white and orange.  

The BioBrite Sunrise Controller

BioBrite is a company creating “innovative light therapy products,” and the Sunrise Controller fits in this line precisely. The alarm clock and controller aims to simulate a sunrise via any regular lamp. To use this, you plug the lamp into the controller, then plug the controller into the wall. You also need to have an incandescent light bulb under 75 watts. After that, setup is relatively simple.

It’s a very gentle way to wake up in the morning. You can use the setting so that the light starts turning on 15 minutes before the alarm, but you can also set it for 30, 45 or 60 minutes before the alarm goes off. In addition, if the light doesn’t do it alone, the alarm can be set to turn on a radio, a light beaming sound, or a flashing light (from the lamp).

The clock face dims out when the light is off. The face is large and extremely easy to read. The icons are easy-to-read as well, so you know what to expect with the alarm. And this is one of the few alarm clocks I’ve seen that come with three radio presets, so you can quickly bounce around to your favorite stations. 

If you live in an area (Northern America, for example) where the days are extremely short, you may love the idea of waking up to a “sunrise” during the dark months (even for early risers in the summer).

This is a really good product and it would make a unique holiday gift.

The Mizuno Wave Prophecy Running Shoe

Mizuno’s new Wave Prophecy utilized the patented Wave Plate—seven years in the making—replaces a traditional rubber sole with a pair of shock-absorbing struts designed to propel you forward. A great shoe for the advanced runner not yet committed to Vibram-based minimalist running philosophy.

The UnderArmour GoreTex Speed Freek Trail Boots

Every man needs a good pair of boots to get him through thick and thin, and these highly durable shoes fit the bill. The UnderArmour GoreTex Speed Freek Trail Boots (say THAT ten times fast) is a lightweight and waterproof shoe/boot that, thanks to the reliable Gore-Tex fabric, can trudge through mud, brush, and any other barrier that the backwoods can throw at you, ensuring that your feet stay dry and protected. And when not sprinting over hill and over dale, these boots practically feel like running sneakers! Burn some trail rubber and get these boots!

The Omron HEM-670IT Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor

Sometimes the most important Health-Related purchase we can make is a blood-pressure monitor. Wrist blood-pressure monitors are portable, accurate and simple to use and provide a convenient choice for those who want a second unit for away from home or who have trouble placing a cuff on their arm.

The HEM-670IT uses Omron’s patented IntelliSense technology, which inflates the wrist cuff to the ideal level with each use and offers fast, personalized, and automatic inflation for maximum comfort. No adjustments are required to select an inflation level—especially convenient for hypertensive users and for people with certain arrhythmia or heart disorders, because their blood pressure is more likely to fluctuate.

The unit’s 100-memory recall with date and time stamp, as well as averaging capabilities for the last three readings, you can track your blood pressure and pulse progress as your work towards a healthier lifestyle.

It also features a system that detects an irregular heartbeat as well as morning hypertension, giving you an even better understanding of your heart’s health. A built-in hypertension indicator lets you know if your readings indicate a high-blood pressure condition.

This is not a new product, but one that has been “battle-tested” by hundreds of thousands of people across the country since it’s release in 2007. This should come as a comfort in knowing that the device works and, judging by the reviews, works well. In addition, the HEM-670IT comes with a 5-year warranty!

The Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells (Pair)

The Bowflex SelectTech 552 dumbbells adjust from 5 to 52.5 pounds in 2.5-pound increments up to the first 25 pounds. They let you rapidly switch from one weight and exercise to the next. The system combines 15 sets of weights into one, utilizing the unique Bowflex dial system. If you want to get a good strength workout at home, but don’t have much space, the Bowflex 552 SelectTech Dumbbells are an ideal solution.

It’s one of the most space-efficient and flexible strength-training options available with its unique and effective design. With a 5-year warranty on the plates and a 2-year warrant on the parts, you will have good peace of mind as you workout, get in better shape and choose whether you want to bulk up or just tone down.

Well that’ll do it for now. There are a lot of excellent Health & Fitness gift ideas out there and I’ve cherry-picked just a few. So I hope you enjoyed this list and look ahead to more lists coming up as Christmas gets closer!

Christmas Gift Ideas 2011 - Techy Gifts for Kids!

In the spirit of the holidays, I always spend time looking at all the über-cool, exciting and new products that are released and available this time of year. I may not buy or want to buy everything, but I come across so many really great products, I thought I’d highlight a few of them here, thematically, starting with Tech-related gift ideas for children!

To visit the website where you can purchase these items, just click on the photo!

The app is for the iPad and is free, simply go to the appstore and pick it up. I’ve included a link on the picture above to Toys R Us. What you stuff in your nipper’s stocking is a pair of Cars 2 characters, like Finn McMissle and Lightning McQueen or McQueen & Holly Shiftwell. Your lil tyke holds one of the toy automobiles down on your iPad screen and sensors on the undercarriage communicate with the app to rev a cartoon around a track turning your iPad or iPad 2 into an endless virtual play mat as your lil one explore Radiator Springs or Tokyo (more maps upcoming)! Pretty cool idea and at $15 for 2 of them, not a wallet breaker!

Leonardo da Vinci Working Catapult

This item is a build-it-yourself, working recreation of his 15th Century catapult that can hurl an included small clay ball over 12 feet, which not only highlights physics and history, but also comes in handy for keeping pesky kid sisters (or brothers) at bay! For adults, the coolness factor is increased as all pieces are pre-cut and made with natural, untreated wood from sustainable forests. At $24.99, it’s educational, fun and affordable.

Not only does this new bowl keep your milk on one side and cereal on the other, but it also protects crackers from soup, gives you a place for your dip AND your chips and keeps your cookies from becoming soggy! This is great for children who like to keep their foods crispy and/or separate. The bowl itself is slightly tilted to ensure the liquids stay put and contains a small, easily grippable, pedestal. This is one of those products that makes you smack your head and think, “Why didn’t I think of that!” :) It costs $19.99 and is likely the only bowl I can think of that just might be worth it!

In each of the cars, a fully functional camera that can record up to 12 minutes of video at 30 frames per second is encased in the body so you can record awesome driving videos. These video cameras put you in the driver’s seat and allow you to edit previous video taken. With the included clips and straps, the video camera can be attached to bikes, helmets, skateboards or nearly anything that moves. This feature gives you the versatility to use the camera the way you want to. Pretty cool toy that is made cooler by the clips and straps giving it extra versatility. The setup is not cheap as it costs about $55, but it still makes a great gift.

Inanimate Alice
 

While, strictly speaking, this is not a “gift” or a “product”, Inanimate Alice is Transmedia-a multilingual, unfolding digital novel set in the early years of the 21st century and told through text, sound, images, music and games using any device running Adobe’s Flash player. Inanimate Alice is the story of Alice and her imaginary digital friend Brad.

The novel is written first for and specifically to be read and viewed from the screen and requires user action to drive the story forward using text, images, music, sound effects, puzzles and games to illustrate and enhance the narrative. Each episode is a self-contained story wherein the chapters become more complex as the narrative unfolds reflecting Alice’s age and competency as she develops towards her calling as a game animator and designer.

While designed as entertainment, teachers around the world have utilized Inanimate Alice to connect with students through media they have grown up with and around. Again, this is not a game or a product, but it could be one of the most amazing gifts you can give your child.

Oh and did I mention that it’s FREE? :)

Leapfrog LeapPad Explorer Tablet

For those kids ready for their own tablet and not borrowing your iPad (4 to 9 is recommended), the LeapPad is the next step up in learning. With an expansive library of games and apps (and compatible with Leapster Explorer games and apps that you may have purchased previously), the LeapPad brings a diverse set of educational tools for kids. With 2GB of memory, there’s plenty of on board memory to save apps, plus a built-in camera makes taking pictures and video fun! The LeapPad offers a broad curriculum including reading, mathematics, science, geography, art, music, language and culture, health and more. Plus, skill levels automatically adjust the challenge to match each child’s pace and remember progress from game to game and book to book.

At $99.99, this is not a cheap item, but is much cheaper than an actual tablet and is a true, reliable and well-review learning device!

Ridemakerz Cars 2

Tapping into America’s love of cars and the massive car-customizing movement, RIDEMAKERZ® offers kidz from 4 to 104 the opportunity to customize and “trick out” their very own RIDE. You can go with any of the Cars vehicles above or customize your OWN ride in one of their brick and mortar shops (the link in the above picture takes you to their Anaheim, CA location page) or online. Between the body styles and colors, TREADZ and WHEELZ, lights and sounds, accessories and DECALZ, there are more than 649 million possible combinations, not including individual decal placement. This could be a very cool way to up the ante with typical Hot Wheels cars!

Each car varies from about $35 to $60 depending on the options selected.

LEGO STAR WARS MILLENNIUM FALCON

Quite possibly the coolest LEGO creation you can buy! This LEGO Millennium Falcon set includes characters from Star Wars Falcon. The mini figurines and 1254 pieces allow for a variety of configurations. It features 6 minifigures: Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, Ben Kenobi, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader. Also included are assorted weapons and the model features an opening hull with a detailed interrior, twin flick-fire missles, rotating laser cannons, a detachable cockpit cover, chairs, a cup, control panels and game board (let the Wookie win!). Ok…now *I* want one!

On sale at WalMart for $115!!

Well hopefully this gives you some techy gift ideas for your kids! This is from from all-inclusive, but I think I highlighted some special, unique and all-around entertaining options for parents looking to find that special gift to stand out from other parents! Happy Holidays and look here for more cool thematic gift ideas coming soon!

Christmas Gift Ideas 2011 - Star Wars!

In the spirit of the holidays, I always spend time looking at all the über-cool, exciting and new products that are released and available this time of year. I may not buy or want to buy everything, but I come across so many really great products, I thought I’d highlight a few of them here, thematically, starting with Star Wars gift ideas.

To visit the website where you can purchase these items, just click on the photo!

Han Solo in Carbonite Ice Cube Tray

Available at ThinkGeek.com, this ice cube tray is a really COOL idea for kids and adults and is pretty cheap at $9.99 each! Be creative and use them to make Han Solo Carbonite Chocolate Bars too!

The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force [Vault Edition]

The Jedi Path, Fully Illustrated, with Removable Features and a Mechanical Vault 

With the push of a button, the doors of the vault open in a wash of light and Star Wars sound effects. The inner platform rises, revealing this exclusive edition of The Jedi Path. This is a very cool gift and at less than $65 (with free shipping and in some places-no taxes) it’s a great gift idea!

Book of the Sith [Vault Edition] also makes a great gift (for later)!

This item won’t be available until early next year, but if you are more Sith than Jedi, the wait might be worthwhile and the price is the same (less than $65!) 

Star Wars: The Blueprints

Amazing Lytro Camera - Take a picture-Focus LATER!

20 years ago today, Magic Johnson revealed he'd contracted the HIV virus