Juxtaposition

This is a great development.  The main thing I used GreatNews for was its ability to sync and view postings offline (although many RSS feeds are lame and truncate the stories...)  Of course, GreatNews doesn't work on Linux so Google Reader can now be my main feed reader.  It's great for podcasts too if you want to listen on the PC.

Of course, Google's delivery of the firefox extension is from a non-SSL link...  See slight paranoia: A Remote Vulnerability in Firefox Extensions for why this can be hazardous to your computer's health.

Official Google Reader Blog: Oh Sam I Am, can I read it on the tram?

Google Gears, a browser plugin that enables offline web applications. Once you've installed Google Gears, you can download your latest 2,000 items so they're available even when you don't have an internet connection. To get started, simply click the "Offline" link in the top right of Google Reader.

Posted by at 7:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Seems as if many devices don't like Linux's USB device autosuspend feature.  Many will stop functioning and will need to be disconnected and reconnected to function again.  I've got a multi-card reader that will hang and get these errors.  It was a problem on my old computer and is still plaguing me on my new one.  Glad to see that it's going to be fixed.  Newer kernels >= 2.6.22 have a feature that lets you turn autosuspend off without having to recompile the kernel:


sudo echo -1 > /sys/module/usbcore/parameters/autosuspend

[linux-usb-devel] usb-storage autosuspend bug?

Bug #85488 - Comment #363

Bug #85488 in linux-source-2.6.20 (Ubuntu): “some usb_devices fault if usb_suspend enabled”

Posted by at 7:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The rumours are true.  Google is officially both on the Eastside and Westside now.  Now they could make me an offer I couldn't refuse...  I wouldn't prefer to work in Kirkland but even Fremont would be a jaunt more than Downtown.

Business & Technology | Google takes space in Fremont for expansion | Seattle Times Newspaper

Google, based in Mountain View, Calif., plans to sublease about 60,000 square feet from Getty Images at the Waterside Building on North 34th Street.

That amount of space would accommodate about 240 workers, according to commercial real-estate brokers.

Google now has an engineering center in Kirkland and sales offices at another building on North 34th Street in Fremont. The new space will be used for additional R&D engineers, said Sunny Gettinger, a Google spokeswoman. She declined to say how many people Google plans to add in Fremont.

"Seattle is just very rich in engineering talent, We're running out of space in our other offices there, and we're continuing to grow," Gettinger said.

Posted by at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

These are pretty amazing and tragic to look at.  I hope Seattle gets going on replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct that I travel on every day to work...

Collapse

By some estimates, it would only take about 9 billion dollars a year for 20 years to clear the backlog across the country of our crumbling infrastructure.  It took lots of Federal monies to build it; it's going to take Federal money to fix it.  Instead, we're spending close to a Trillion dollars on the Iraq war.  Politicians:  look around you.  The enemy is you for not funding the proper priorities.  It's us for not demanding it and holding you accountable.

I've also heard about some deficiencies in the procedures followed for reviewing bridge safety that need to be fixed.  Typically, bridges are reviewed on a 2 year cycle and estimates are made about their longevity and safety for 5-10 years into the future.  However, given that it may take at least 5-10 years to get a repair/replacement project passed, funded, and completed, it may be too late even then.

If you are interested in how things like this can happen, check out Why Buildings Fall Down:  How Structures Fall

Posted by at 7:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)