Have Laptop Will Travel

Bring your laptop with you using your hoodie as a bag

I’m really, really meticulous with my laptop, but sometimes, the fact that I have to lug around a huge padded backpack containing my laptop, the power brick, and a few accessories like the mouse can be a hassle. What if I just wanted to bring my laptop with me to the nearest coffee shop? I don’t want to have a huge bag cluttering the already-cramped cafe when I’m going to be staying there for a few hours. However, I don’t want to walk around carrying my laptop only. Heh, I don’t want to be an easy target for muggers.

So imagine my surprise when I saw Conceptual Devices offering a few things you can do with a hoodie, among them was to use it to make an improvised laptop bag. You can find more tips, including using your hoodie as a baby sling, and another tip on how to make a backpack, actually. [Read more…]

Beta testing Pownce

I’ve been looking for an effective file sharing service so that I can more easily share files with my friends. Rapidshare is good but the web interface is butt ugly and at some point during the process (the part where you click on the “FREE” tab to download the file) it gets downright confusing. A friend of mine still thinks that I’m asking him to subscribe to Rapidshare’s paid service just to download an MP3 file I sent him.

I recently found out about the Pownce project that is currently on its beta phase. The new service includes Kevin Rose of Digg (I’m a big fan of the guy ever since his TechTV days). The new service has two components and you can use either one. There is a web component and also a small applet that uses the new Adobe Air runtime technology.

I’ve been lucky enough to be included in the beta and it really is promising. Imagine Yahoo! Messenger, only more user friendly and geared towards creating groups that can share files. The only thing that I don’t like is that you can only share up to 10mb of files. If you want more, then you have to pay a subscription. I admit I’m a cheapskate so I’d prefer for the service to be free.

Laptop mods are for the brave and the bold

I’ve always been fascinated with modifications made on desktops and laptops. I’ve seen features on how to modify desktops and the inherent benefits of making these changes. I got so intrigued that I actually modded the case of my first PC. I think I was one of the first people to do it where I live because when I brought my PC for repairs all of the technicians and customers milled around my PC, asking questions about the simple intake vent that I painstakingly cut from the side panel of the case.

Now, PC mods are quite common. Vents would never even get a second glance from people because PC case manufacturers now incorporate these on cases. What is making people take notice though are modifications made on laptops.

People who modify laptops are a different breed altogether. These are people with nerves of carbon fiber and balls of steel. Why? It takes a man of courage to actually open a very expensive piece of electronics and then tinker and change something that was not even specified by the manufacturer.

Take this guy, for example. He modified his Apple laptop so that the Apple logo would glow. The modification was a success and the result was quite impressive.

I’m now looking at my trusty Acer notebook in a whole new perspective.

African Americans on Currency

I’ve started to work on my Dollar Bill Project again and it got me thinking about currency trivia, so I figured that it was time for a little Fun Fact post since I haven’t done one in quite some time.

It is a little known fact that five African Americans have had their signatures on US currency.

The four African American men whose signatures appeared on the currency were Blanche K. Bruce, Judson W. Lyons, William T. Vernon and James C. Napier. These men served as Registers of the Treasury.

Until the series 1923 currency, the two signatures on almost all currency (except Fractional Currency and Demand Notes) were of the Treasurer and the Register.

During this period four of the 17 registers were African American.

The fifth African American whose signature appeared on currency was Azie Taylor Morton. Ms. Morton was the 36th Treasurer of the United States. She served from September 12, 1977, to January 20, 1981.

There are no images of African-Americans printed on U.S. currency.

Robotic Beer Launching Refrigerator

Have you ever got up off the couch to get a beer for the hundredth time and thought to yourself, “What if instead of me going to get the beer, the beer came to me?”

Well thanks to the brain child of John W. Cornwell, there is now the Robotic Beer Launching Refrigerator.

About 3 months and several hundred dollars later John has created a fully automated, remote controlled, catapulting, man-pit approved, beer launching mini-fridge.

It holds 10 beers in its magazine with 14 more in reserve to store a full case. It is controlled by a keyless entry system.

Pressing unlock will start the catapult rotating and when it is aiming at your target, pressing unlock again will stop it. Then the lock button can be pressed to launch a beer in the selected direction.

I want one. This thing totally rocks. The only drawback is the cost.

According to John, he put at least a hundred hours into the build, as well as several hundred dollars worth of parts. He estimates that the price would be about $2,500.00 USD to build another one.

He should put the plans and parts list online. I’m sure he could sell them for a fair price. I’d buy them.