NY Times article about "white box" PC manufacturers... The machine he bought last year has a 720-gigabyte hard drive for storage — or 18 times more than a typical desktop PC sold today. [...] A shift in PC use from tasks like writing documents and sending text-based e-mail to entertainment uses like music, photos and video could touch off a new cycle of demand for PC hardware and software. An hour of video, for example, consumes a gigabyte of storage. "It'll blow the lid off," Mr. Andreessen said. "It will happen. It's just a matter of when." [lawrence's notebook]

Alienware builds killer machines. I have promised myself a laptop once I find my next job. These companies succeed because unlike a Dell or Gateway, they hand tailor their machines to the buyer. Plus I ahve yet to see another laptop that has a 2.4 GHz processor with a 15" 1600x1200 display, for that price point.

3:11:39 PM    

Why New Cell Jammer Won't Fly. Japanese scientists recently created building material that blocks cell phones from working. Would it ever be implemented in the United States? By Elisa Batista. [Wired News]

Follow up to yesterday's story. At issue is the fact that doctors, police, firefighters, and other emergency personell need to be in touch via wireless. While the wood does not jam the signal actively, it does block it, which makes it a decision of the courts as to it's legality. (note to self, have coffee, then post)

8:37:55 AM