Respects my authoritie!

Supreme I am. Yoda voice I use. As good as me are you?

Bill Gates Mocks MIT’s $100 Laptop Project

Bill Gates Mocks MIT’s $100 Laptop Project: “Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates mocked a $100 laptop computer for developing countries being developed with the backing of rival Google at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.”

Normally I don’t post about stuff I read on the internet, but, what a complete bastard. I know Bill gives a lot of money to charity, but still. Yes a $100 laptop is going to be less spec’d than a $599-999 Origami computer, but I don’t see him giving those away to the third world. I am appalled that Bill feels the need to try to rain on the parade, of what I think is a wonderful project, for clearly business reasons. He quotes the major costs of software, support, and connectivity. Well connectivity is always going to be a cost, but these little laptops run on OSS. That means little or no software cost, and the support is something that can be learned and delivered from within the community.

In summary: if you don’t have a better solution to offer don’t bash charities, especially not for business reasons. It’s lame.

(Link via eWEEK Technology News.)

Economy, the new frontlines

I saw this in Tesco the other day. It made me think of studying history at school and the photos of the artillery rounds from WWI and WWII. Are these plastic shells packed with buckshot of cash the ammunition which will kill the British high street?

It’s Hammer time! Can’t touch this

Wow! I totally want one of these, they look hella fun. Remember the Hammer Brothers from Super Mario Bros 3? Well I used to love being Hammer Brother Mario on a rampage. This is apparently used to finish setting paving stones, which seems like a bit of a waste to me, although the guy doing it seemed to be having fun. Could be quite a nice job that.

1. Make a sandpit
2. Hit stuff with a big hammer
3. Get paid for 1 & 2